Il corso intende fornire le conoscenze delle basi biologiche delle manifestazioni patologiche, individuando i principali fattori patogeni attivi sull’organismo umano e i meccanismi patogenetici responsabili delle alterazioni dell’omeostasi e dell’insorgenza delle malattie. In parallelo, si intende far acquisire allo studente elementi di terminologia medica e alcuni principi di fisiopatologia.

The student should comprehend major causes and pathogenic mechanisms leading to human disease and the fundamental defence biological mechanisms, with their alterations. Requisiti Nozioni di biologia generale, anatomia, chimica biologica, fisiologia. Essential requirements The student should know contents and relationships existing between basic disciplines (cell biology, human anatomy and physiology, biological chemistry).

Il candidato deve dimostrare di aver compreso e di saper esporre con esattezza di termini i meccanismi patogenetici e i principali argomenti di fisiopatologia.

The student should learn basic alterations of physiologic processes governing the function of tissues, organs and systems

INTRODUZIONE

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GENERAL PATHOLOGY: medical speciality concerned with the study of disease processes and how these provoke structural and functional changes in the body

PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION 

Health and disease: concept of aetiology and pathogenesis  

CELLULAR PATHOLOGY

Cell adaptation: hypertrophy, hyperplasia, atrophy, metaplasia, dysplasia

Mechanisms and patterns of cellular injury (necrosis and apoptosis)

Accumulations and pathological pigmentation

INFLAMMATION AND REPAIR 

Acute inflammation: vascular phenomena, cellular recruitment and activation, cell adhesion molecules, mediators

Morphologic patterns of acute inflammation

Chronic inflammation: cellular involvement and mediators

Granulomatous inflammation: types of granuloma

Systemic effects of inflammation

Repair and wound healing: granulation tissue and scarring; primary and secondary intention 

IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY

The immune system: innate and adaptative response, lymphocytes, complement system, immunological memory

Pathogenesis of disorders of the immune system:

•           hypersensitivity (type I: allergies and anaphylaxis; type II: antibody-mediated reactions, ADCC; type III: immune complex diseases; type IV: delayed type hypersensitivity)

•           autoimmune disorders (immunological tolerance; classification)

•           immune deficiency disorders (main primary and acquired immune deficiency)

ENVIRONMENTAL PATHOLOGY

Abiotic agents that influence human health: temperature, radiations, pressure, nutrition

GENETIC PATHOLOGY

Single gene disease: examples of autosomal dominant and recessive disorders, X-linked disorders

Disorders due to alterations in chromosome structure and numbers

Multifactorial disorders

ONCOLOGY

Cancer cell biology: clonal evolution and biological properties

Classification; stage and histological grading

Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes 

Carcinogenesis: chemical carcinogens and ionizing radiation; viral infection

Immune system dysfunction

Cachexia and metastasis

ALTERATIONS OF PHYSIOLOGIC PROCESSES

Fever 

Gastrointestinal disease: gastritis, ulcer; enteritises (IBD)

Liver diseases: viral and toxic hepatitis; cirrhosis; hepatic insufficiency

Respiratory diseases: pulmonary infective diseases; obstructive and restrictive pulmonary disease; pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary insufficiency

Diabetes mellitus: pathophysiology, classification, acute and long-term complications

Kidney diseases: nephrotic and nephritic syndrome; glomerulonephritis; nephritic insufficiency

Blood disorders: anemias: pathopyhysiology, classification (haemolytic, from defect in erythroid precursors); hemorrhagic disorders

Circulatory disturbancies: atherosclerosis (atherogenesis and morphologic features with complications); thrombosis and its complications; hypo- and hypertension; shock; embolism, ischemia

Heart diseases: coronary heart disease; ischemic and hypertensive heart disease; heart failure