Ateneo - UPO

The course deals with the basic mechanisms of
diseases, including the role of
immune response

“Patologia Generale & Fisiopatologia Generale”
Mainiero-Misasi-Sorice et al. VI edizione Piccin
Editore
Coico, Immunologia in percorso breve, Edi.Ermes
Murphy, Immunobiologia di Janeway. Piccin

The course aims to make the students able to
understand the
mechanisms of tissue damage, inflammation,
immune responses, cancer development,
and pathophysiology along with the basic notion in
medical terminology

The students should have basic knowledge of
Physics, Biology, Anatomy,
Biochemistry, Medical Genetic, Histology and
Physiology

Lectures and seminars; the student is actively
involved in the historical framework and evolution of
knowledge on pathogenetic mechanisms. The
student is provided with supplementary didactic
material of the reference texts. Students are
encouraged to deepen some issues in group work

The student is invited to contact the teachers to
carry out supplementary laboratory activities

Oral exam assessing the basic notions of general
pathology and physiopathology and the capacity to
deal with the basic mechanisms of
diseases.The vote takes into account the knowledge
and understanding of the teaching contents and the
ability to frame and critically discuss all the factors
involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.
The final grade is agreed between the teachers of
the modules taking into account the overall
assessment of the student's preparation and critical
re-elaboration skills.

General features of diseases: etiology and
pathogenesis of diseases.
Endogenous and exogenous causes of diseases.
Inherited factors
predisposing to diseases. Multifactorial diseases
Chemical causes of diseases: The interactions of
xenobiotic with
biological targets. Metabolism and detoxification of
xenobiotics.
Metabolic activation of xenobiotics. General features
of acute and chronic
toxicity of xenobiotics.
Free radical as cause of diseases. Mechanisms
leading to oxidative stress,
antioxidant defenses, the consequence of oxidative
stress.
Physical causes of diseases: the biological effects of
tissue transfer of
mechanical, thermal and electrical energy.
Biological effects of ionizing
and exciting radiations.
Mechanisms of cellular responses to stress. Etiology
and pathogenesis of
atrophy, hypertrophy/hyperplasia, metaplasia and
dysplasia.
Irreversible cellular damage: necrosis and apoptosis
General features and evolution of the inflammatory
process. Acute
inflammation and vascular responses. Inflammatory
infiltrates Mediators
of inflammation. Mechanisms of inflammatory cell
functions: leucocytes
diapedesis and phagocytosis. The termination of
acute inflammation.
Chronic inflammation. Systemic responses to
inflammation.
The repair process and tissue healing. Fibrosis and
sclerosis.
Factors influencing the incidence and prevalence of
human cancer.
General features of benign and malign tumors.
Concepts of the histological classification of human
cancers. Clinical
grading and TMN classification.
General features of cancer cells. Morphological
atypias in cancer.
Histologic grading of tumors.
Monoclonal origin of tumors. Cancer stem cells.
Genetic and epigenetic causes of cancer. Genetic
instability in tumors
and eterogenicity of cancer cell populations.
Oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes.
Mechanisms involved in the alterations of cell cycles
in cancer cells.
Mechanisms influencing cell growth in cancers.
Metabolic alterations.
Alterations in cell senescence death.
The phases of carcinogenesis.
Interactions between cancer cells and extracellular
matrix. Vascular
angiogenesis in tumors.
Immune responses to tumors.
Mechanisms of cancer invasion and metastasis.
Etiology of human cancers. Genetic factors and
cancer.
Physical causes of cancer
Chemical carcinogenesis
Virus and cancer
Systemic effects of tumors. Paraneoplastic
syndromes and cancer
cachessia
Physiopathology of hemostasis: mechanisms of
platelet activation and
aggregation. The clotting cascade. Mechanisms of
controlling hemostasis.
Alterations of platelet functions and of the clotting
process. Thrombosis.
The repair process and tissue healing. Fibrosis and
sclerosis.
Beta-fibrils and diseases: Amyloidosis, prioninduced
diseases,
neurofibrillary diseases.
Physiopathology of aging. Tissue alterations in
aging. Mechanisms of
aging.
Physiopathology of blood perfusion: Ischemia,
hyperemia, reperfusion
syndrome. The shock
Physiopathology of lipid metabolism: The
mechanism of lipid transport.
Lipoprotein alterations.
Atherosclerotic disease. Mechanism of
atherosclerotic plaque formation
and evolution.
Physiopathology of nutrition: Protein-calories
malnutrition, vitamin
deficiencies. Obesity.
Physiopathology of glucose metabolism:
mechanisms of insulin
resistance. Diabetes
Physiopathology of acid/base regulation: acidosis
and alkalosis
Physiopathology of iron. Regulation of body iron
adsorption and
distribution. Iron deficiency and overload.
Physiopathology of hydro-electrolytic homeostasis.
Hydro-electrolytic
alterations. The edema.
General features of the immune system, innate and
adaptative immunity,
the cells of the immune system. Organs of the
immune system. Antigens
and antibodies, Structure and functions of the
different antibody classes.
Antigens recognized by B-lymphocytes, The aptens,
Structure and
functions of BCR. The complement system.
Monoclonal antibodies and
their applications. The T-cell receptors and the MHC
system. The HLA
system. Pathways of antigen presentation. Signals
co-activating T-cells
CD28, CTLA-4 and PD-1. The antigen presenting
cells. Ig gene rearrangement
and B cell antigen maturation. T-lymphocyte
maturation in
the tymous Effector and regulator T-cells. The
cytokines. Sygnals
regulating T- cells. Helper cytotoxic T- cells. Th1,
Th2, Th17, Treg, CTL,
NK, NKT, Tγδ. The mechanisms of immune-elusion
of infective agents and
tumors. Vaccines. Acquired and congenital immunedeficiencies.
Type I,
II, III, IV hypersensitivity reactions. Pathogenesis of
autoimmune diseases.
Transplant immunity

Knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms
responsible for tissue
injury, inflammation, immunity and neoplastic
growth; understanding of
the main pathophysiological processes in human
diseases.
Applying knowledge and understanding to the
pathophysiological
processes responsible for human diseases.