42 Questions
What type of microscopy is required to visualize spirochetes?
Darkfield microscopy
Which feature contributes to the mobility of spirochetes?
Axial filaments
What makes spirochetes resistant to rifampicin?
Cell wall flexibility
Which genus of spirochete is associated with relapsing fever and Lyme disease?
Borrelia
In which environments can commensal treponemes be found?
Intestinal, genital, and oral environments
What is a virulence factor associated with pathogenic treponemes?
Mucous slime layer
Which bacteria is known to be strictly anaerobic and has many nutritional requirements?
Treponema denticola
What is the characteristic sign of secondary syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum?
Exanthema with macular or maculopapular lesions on the trunk
What is the causative agent of Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
Treponema denticola
Which bacteria is responsible for causing syphilis?
Treponema pallidum
Which bacteria is not cultivable in vitro and is not visible with conventional microscopy?
Treponema pallidum
What are the predisposing factors for Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
Immunosuppression, malnutrition, poor oral hygiene, smoking, throat infections, teeth or mouth
What is the differential diagnosis for Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
Herpetic, gonococcal, syphilitic or noninfectious gingivostomatitis
What is the possible manifestation of syphilis in the oral cavity during the tertiary stage?
Gummas
What is the method used to detect antibodies against specific T. pallidum-antigens (Ag) to confirm a positive nontreponemal test?
Microhemagglutination test for T. pallidum (MHA-TP)
What is the source of carbon for spirochetes?
Carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids
Why are spirochetes sometimes not visible at optical microscopes?
They require darkfield or fluorescence microscopy for visualization
What is the distinguishing feature of Leptospira among spirochetes?
Incurved extremities
Which microscopy technique is required to visualize spirochetes?
Fluorescence microscopy
What are the genera of clinical interest associated with Treponema?
Syphilis, yaws, pinta
What is the respiratory nature of spirochetes?
Aerobic and facultative anaerobes
What are the elements of mobility found in spirochetes?
Axial filaments and periplasmic endoflagella
What is the primary manifestation of syphilis in the oral cavity?
Chancre
Which bacteria is responsible for causing Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
Treponema vincentii
What is the method used to detect the proteolytic activity of certain oral anaerobes that contribute to oral malodor?
BANA test
What are the possible manifestations of syphilis in the oral cavity during the tertiary stage?
Gummas
What is the characteristic sign of secondary syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum?
Maculopapular lesions on the trunk
How is Treponema pallidum primarily transmitted?
Sexual contact or placental transmission
Which bacteria is known to be strictly anaerobic and has many nutritional requirements?
Treponema denticola
What are the predisposing factors for Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
States of stress, immunosuppression, malnutrition
What is the primary source of carbon and energy for spirochetes?
Carbohydrates and fatty acids
Which microscopy technique is required to visualize spirochetes when they are not visible at optical microscopes?
Darkfield microscopy
What is the distinguishing feature of Leptospira among spirochetes?
Incurved extremities
What makes spirochetes resistant to rifampicin?
Cell wall flexibility
Which genus of spirochete is associated with relapsing fever and Lyme disease?
Borrelia
What is the primary source of energy for oral treponemes?
Amino acids
What is a common virulence factor associated with oral treponemes?
Endotoxin
What is the differential diagnosis for Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
Herpetic, gonococcal, syphilitic gingivostomatitis
What is the causative agent of Vincent's infection or trench mouth?
Treponema socranskii
What is the characteristic sign of secondary syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum?
Exanthema with macular or maculopapular lesions on the trunk
What is the possible manifestation of syphilis in the oral cavity during the tertiary stage?
Gummas
Which microscopy technique is required to visualize spirochetes when they are not visible with conventional microscopy?
Darkfield microscopy
Study Notes
Spirochetes
- Visualization of spirochetes requires dark-field microscopy or specialized microscopy techniques like silver staining or immunofluorescence.
- The feature contributing to the mobility of spirochetes is their endoflagella, which are internal flagella.
- Spirochetes are resistant to rifampicin due to their lack of peptidoglycan in their cell walls.
Genus of Spirochetes
- The genus of spirochete associated with relapsing fever and Lyme disease is Borrelia.
Commensal Treponemes
- Commensal treponemes can be found in environments such as the oral cavity, gut, and genital mucosa.
Pathogenic Treponemes
- A virulence factor associated with pathogenic treponemes is proteolytic activity.
- Treponema pallidum, a pathogenic treponeme, is the causative agent of syphilis.
Anaerobic Bacteria
- Treponema pallidum is a strictly anaerobic bacterium with many nutritional requirements.
Syphilis
- The characteristic sign of secondary syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum is a maculopapular rash.
- The causative agent of syphilis is Treponema pallidum, which is not cultivable in vitro and is not visible with conventional microscopy.
- The primary manifestation of syphilis in the oral cavity is a chancre.
- Possible manifestations of syphilis in the oral cavity during the tertiary stage include gumma, osteomyelitis, and perforation of the hard palate.
Vincent's Infection
- The causative agent of Vincent's infection or trench mouth is Treponema vincentii.
- The predisposing factors for Vincent's infection or trench mouth include poor oral hygiene, malnutrition, and stress.
- The differential diagnosis for Vincent's infection or trench mouth includes acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, herpetic gingivostomatitis, and angular cheilitis.
Spirochete Characteristics
- The source of carbon and energy for spirochetes is glucose and other carbohydrates.
- The primary source of energy for oral treponemes is glucose and other carbohydrates.
- The elements of mobility found in spirochetes are endoflagella.
- The distinguishing feature of Leptospira among spirochetes is their hook-shaped ends.
- The primary source of carbon and energy for spirochetes is glucose and other carbohydrates.
Detection Methods
- The method used to detect antibodies against specific T. pallidum-antigens (Ag) to confirm a positive nontreponemal test is Western blot or TPPA.
- The method used to detect the proteolytic activity of certain oral anaerobes that contribute to oral malodor is a gelatin liquefaction test.
Transmission
- Treponema pallidum is primarily transmitted through sexual contact.
Test your knowledge of the general features of spirochetes in Microbiology Unit 18. This quiz covers topics such as morphology, locomotion, visibility under microscopes, and host specificity.
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