Learning objectives
The course will enable the student to acquire knowledge and understanding on basic concepts in general pathology, immunopathology and animal pathophysiology
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 'UNDERSTANDING
The students has to gain in-depth knowledge of the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of cell and tissue damage in relation to the various etiologies of disease, of cell and tissue adaptation and cell death; This will allow the student to fully understand how to these pathological processes evolve as well as how the processes of the defensive response of the organism and tissue develop with particular reference to the inflammation, the tissue repair and regeneration, the acute phase reaction, the innate and acquired immune defensive response against biological patogens.
The students will also acquire basic concepts and mechanisms of immune-mediated pathologies in animals focusing on hypersensitivity, autoimmune diseases and immunedepression (Immunopathology)as well as on the main physiopathological aspects and the changes of immune response during viral and bacterial infection.
The students have to acquire knowledge on the physiopathological mechanisms at mean organs and apparatus aiming at understanding the functional local implications and the systemic connections during the organ's failure (Physiopathology).
CAPACITY 'TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING AND Learning CAPACITY'
The student will have to demonstrate to applicate knowledge in pathology in order to be able to easily characterize an elemental pathological process, to consider it inside a context of tissue and organs, especially for the purpose to know the ocal functional implications but also of the systemic repercussions in 'organ.
During the lab activity of histopathology, the students will acquire the abiliy to identify and evaluate the cell damage and types of inflammation by means of the microscopic observation of pathological tissue samples for a diagnostic application.During laboratory activity of immunopathology the students will acquire the ability to treat blood sample for cytometry for lymphocyte characterization by cytometry and their use for a functional evaluation of the efficiency of the immune response.In the lab of blood physiopathology, the students will learn to prepare cytologic samples for the observation and diagnostic description of cases of anaemia. During the practice on joint physiopatholgy, the students will acquire the knowledge on the main macroscopic aspect of osteoarthritis and ostecondrosis for a differential evaluation.
During "Classroom practice" the students will learn to apply the knowledge and understandings in physiopatology of the immune response to infection and of organ failure to solve some problems of practical application.
Prerequisites
The preliminary knowledge to adequately tackle the course is the following:
1) Knowledge of histology and macro- and microscopic anatomy of tissues and organs;
2) Knowledge of the comparative physiology of the main organs and systems;
3) Knowledge of microbiology and basic notions on immune system structure and function.
The following prerequisites for the final exam:
Propedeutics done: Microbiology and Immunology - Epidemiology, Physiology I and II – Endocrinology
Propedeutics to: Pathological Anatomy – Internal Medicine – Pathologoical Surgery and Radiology – Infectious Diseases – Ostetrics
Course unit content
The contents of General Pathology are the etiology and pathogenesis of diseases, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the tissutal and cellular damage, the cell and tissue adaptation and the cell death, as well as the processes of the defensive response (the inflammation and the innate immunity, the regenerative and reparative responses, the acute phase reaction and the defensive response against the biological pathogens). Moreover, the etiology, pathogenesis and physiopathology of the neoplastic diseases are treated. The main arguments treated in the immunopathology, are the hypersensitivity and the autoimmune diseases with reference to the specific spontaneous disease, the causes of immunosuppression as well as the pathophysiological aspects and the modulation of the immune response during viral and bacterial infections. The part of Pathophysiology provides the detailed knowledge on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of the functional insufficiency at the level of major organs and systems.
Biosafety notions related to the laboratory activities, will also be provided.
Full programme
CONTENTS OF THEORETICAL LESSONS
GENERAL PATHOLOGY
Homeostasis, health and disease : basic concepts of causes and pathogenesis of the diseases.
Etiopathogenesis of the diseases:
- The models of cell damage by hypoxia and free radicals; reversible and irreversible cell injury:
- The main mechanisms of chemical injury, of physical agents (radiation injury, thermal injuries, mechanical forces);
- The main mechanisms of injury by virus e bacteria.
Cellular and extracellular degenerations: cloudy swelling, hydropic and vacuolar degeneration, steatosis, intracellular protein accumulation disorders, fibrinoid necrosis, sclerosis, pathological calcification.
Cell, tissue and systemic adaptive response:
-Molecular aspects of cell (heat shock proteins, anti-oxidants, response to DNA damage) and tissue adaptation (hypertrophy, hyperplasia, atrophy, metaplasia).
The cell Death:
- Necrosis: biochemical and morphologic aspects, types of necrosis;
- Apoptosis: causes (physiologic and pathologic apoptosis), morphologic and biochemical features and mechanisms.
The inflammation:
-General features: etiology, classification and development
The Acute inflammation and immune innate response
- vascular and cellular events of acute inflammation;
- inflammatory and innate immune cells;
- chemical mediators of inflammation outcomes of acute inflammation;
- Cellular events and regulation;
- the mechanisms of connection to acquired immune response.
The primary chronic inflammation and granulomatous inflammation (causes and pathogenetic mechanisms).
Acute Phase Reactions.
Tissue renewal and repair: regeneration; repair by healing; cutaneous wound healing; factors influencing wound healing.
Physiopathology o the infection: damage by virus and bacteria, endotoxic and septic shock, the innate and adaptive immune response to virus and bacteria.
Neoplasia: definition, general features and nomenclature; molecular basis of cancer (oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, apoptosis genes); biology of the neoplastic cell (transformation and progression, heterogeneity); etiology and epidemiology (chemical, radiation and microbial carcinogenesis); differential aspects between benign and malignant neoplasms and classification; invasion and metastasis; immune response against neoplastic cells; paraneoplastic syndromes.
IMMUNOPATHOLOGY
Hypersensitivity: etiology, pathogenesis and examples of immune-mediated diseases ( Type I, Type II, Type III and Type IV hypersensitivity).
Autoimmunity : mechanisms of immunologic tolerance, general concepts and pathogenetic mechanisms, mechanisms of immune-mediated damage, examples of autoimmune diseases.
Immunosuppression: hereditary and acquired immunodeficiency.
Infection and immunity: damage by hypersensitivity, by autoreactivity and immunesuppressive effects.
PHYSIOPATHOLOGY
Physiopathology of joints: pathogenesis and gross lesions of osteoarthritits and osteochondrosis.
Bone physiopathology: calcium/phosphorus imbalances and metabolic bone diseases.
Physiopathology of blood: leukocytosis, leukopenia, anaemia, polycvthemia, haemostasis and thrombosis.
Hemodynamic disorders. edema, hyperaemia, , embolism, infarction, hemorrhagic disorders, shock.
Physiopathology of kidney: acute and chronic failure, nephrotic and uremic syndromes.
Physiopathology of water and acido-base imbalances: dehydration, acidosis and alkalosis.
Hepatic physiopathology: jaundice, steatosis, liver failure.
Basics of lung and cardiac physiopathology the respiratory failure, edema, emphysema, the hearth failure.
CONTENTS OF PRACTICE ACTIVITY.
1) LABORATORY of histopathology:observation and identification of microscopic features of cellular degenerations (cloudy swelling, hydropic and vacuolar degeneration, steatosis, intracellular protein accumulation disorders, necrosis) and of types of acute and chronic inflammations.
2) LABORATORY OF IMMUNOPATHOLOGY: application of parameters and techniques for cytometry for lymphocyte characterization and to evaluate the efficiency of immune response (Portfolio activity. take part of doing).
3) LABORATORY OF PHYSIOPATHOLOGY OF BLOOD: Preparation of cytologic samples of blood for description and evaluation of cases of anaemia.
4) CLASSROOM PRACTICE and solving problems on:
- Seminar on markers of cell damage and inflammation (clinical application)
-Seminar on joint patology: observations of macroscopic features of osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis with the evaluation on
differential diagnostic aspects.
5) SELF-EVALUATIONS tests on several aspects of the programme and "open discussion" with the teacher.
Bibliography
PREPARATORY BOOKS FOR EXAMINATION:
1) Zachary J.F. Patologia generale veterinaria. (2018). Edra.
TEACHING MATERIAL AVAILABLE ON-LINE:
1)SLIDES OF LECTURES provided for SINGLE TOPIC;
2) SCHEMATIC DISPENSA ON ALL THE TOPICS COVERED DURING THE COURSE: the HANDBOOK should be only an INTEGRATION and COMPLETION of the study on one of the TEXT recommended; at the end of the exam MAY BE USEFUL as they provide an overview and summary of the arguments in condensed form and by schemes for a general review on the contents of the course.
3) HANDBOOK on PATHOPHYSIOLOGY topics: is a more extensive and complete dissertation of the topics covered in class lectures, especially to make up for a current lack of available books on this subject
Teaching methods
The lectures (classroom teaching: 72 hours) were carried out the topics of the program by presenting Power Point slide.
Practicals (20 hours) is carried out in multi-seat laboratories of histopathology and immunopathology/ pathophysiology as well as through the activities of "Class room practice (SEMINARS)" in which students will face problems on the practical aspects of pathophysiology ("solving problems"). Test of self-assessment tests with open discussion with the teacher on argomentoi being examined were also included.
Assessment methods and criteria
EXAMINATION
The assessment of learning, as the achievement of the indicated training objectives, is made on the ability to know and understand the contents of all three disciplines of General Pathology, Animal Pathophysiology and Veterinary Immunopathology as well as on what has been done in the practical activity.
In detail, it will be evaluated:
1) Knowledge and understanding. The student has to know and understand the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of cellular, tissue and organ damage and the defensive and the reparative response of the organism.
2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. The student has to demonstrate the ability to correlate the cause and the related damage with the altered functionality of the tissue and organ; it also has to to able to evaluate the altered functionality of organ considering their impact on the
body's homeostatic balances.
3) The student has to demonstrate the ability to communicate what has been learned with accurate scientific terminology and the capacity for an independent and critical study in the learning.
4) Ability to develop initial descriptive and, if possible, diagnostic judgment criteria on the topics covered in the practical activity.
Type of exam: the student can choose between oral Or a written exam.
1) ORAL EXAMINATION:
a) three questions on the topics covered in the lectures and precisely one question on general pathology and oncology, one on immunopathology and one on physiopathology.
b) The assessment is completed by a question on what has been done in the practical activity:
- a question on types of degeneration, types of inflammation, immune parameters, diagnostic protocols for anemia;
- a question on LYMPHOCYTE PHENOTYPES for the evaluation of portfolio activity.
The final grade out of 30 will depend on the global evaluation of the various answers.
2) WRITTEN EXAMINATION: 15 questions to be carried out in 2 hours and which consist of:
a) Multiple choice question on theoretical and practical topics;
b) Brief explanation of the answer and/or addition to the topic.
Each answer is assigned a variable score from 0 (completely wrong or missing answer) to 2, for a total of 30
points. It is possible to assign fractions of points to each answer (e.g.: 2.5 points).
However, there will be a short oral test for the definition of the final grade out of 30.
Examples of written test are available online (elly.didattica)
DURING THE COURSE IT IS POSSIBLE TO CARRY OUT a self-assessment test of learning. The test , however, is OPTIONAL and will be carried out, as multiple choice test, towards the end of the course on the topics of General Pathology, Oncology and Immunopathology.
This evaluation, if accepted by the student, may be considered by the teacher as an integration of the final oral assessment of knowledge and competence on the whole program in the official exam sessions.
If students require, self-assessment tests AIMED AT VERIFYING PREPARATION AND TAKE THE EXAM may be scheduled during the course.
Students with SLD, BES or disabilities must send requests to be able to take advantage of measures during the exam
compensatory and/or dispensatory at least 10 working days before the scheduled date for the exam by e-mail addressed to the teacher in charge of the course and in cc to the Department contact person (list of contact persons and related email addresses available here http://cai. unipr.it/it/student-con-dsa-e-con-bes/42/) and at the Welcome and Inclusion Center (cai@unipr.it).
Other information
The teacher is at students disposal for further explanations on the contents, during the course and for exam's preparation, and tutorial assistance. For this purpose, the reception is possible for students from Monday to Friday prior agreements via-email. In the event of notice not given the best days (compatibly with other commitments) are: Tuesday 9.30 to 11.30, Wednesday 10.30 to 12.30, Thursday 10,30-12,30.
