NURS 3366 EXAMINATION 2026 SET QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔What is immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-An abnormality in one or more branches of the
immune system that renders a person susceptible to disease normally prevented by an
intact immune system so ALL immunodeficient diseases have in common:
-more susceptible to disease
-opportunistic diseases (microbes that are normally harmless)
✔✔What are the subcategories of mechanisms of action for immunodeficient disorders?
- ✔✔-humoral (B cells) immunodeficiency
-Cell mediated (t cell) immunodeficiency
-combined b-cell and t-cell immunodeficiency
✔✔What is congenital immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-present at birth
✔✔What is acquired immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-develops after birth
✔✔What are examples of combined B and T cell immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-
diminishment or absence of BOTH humoral and cell mediated immunity
-Congenital: SCIDS (severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome) caused by diverse
genetic mutations that can lead to complete absence of all immune function "bubble
boy"
-Acquired: irradiation and cytotoxic drugs for cancer- wipe out bone marrow and dont
have enough T and B lymphocytes, immunosuppressant drugs post transplant, aging
✔✔What are examples of humoral (b cell) immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-mostly a congenital
problem
-X linked hypogammaglobulinemia
-IgG missing or lessened
-sequela: more easily get infections
✔✔What are examples of cell mediated (t cell) immunodeficiency? - ✔✔Congenital:
-DiGeorge's syndrome- genetic defect on chromosome 22 that causes failure of
development of thymus which causes decreased ability to fight infections because
immature t cells
Acquired:
-AIDS caused by HIV
-virus invaded CD4 cells and kills them and decreases ability to mount immune
response because CD4 is so important as introductory component to development of
various immunities
,✔✔AIDS is an _____ that is now worldwide - ✔✔Acquired cell mediated
immunodeficiency
✔✔AIDS originated in ____ when ____ infected ____ and was eaten by humans -
✔✔Africa
chimpanzee meat was infected with SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus)
✔✔How is AIDS transmitted? Where is it not found? - ✔✔-person to person via infected
bodily fluids in vaginal lining, breast milk, or direct blood to blood contact such as
sharing IV drug or receiving tainted blood transfusion
-stool, urine, tears, sweat, saliva
✔✔The groups at the highest risk for HIV? - ✔✔-unprotected sex
-homosexual/bisexual men "MSM" (men who have sex with men)
-women who have intercourse with MSM
-IV drug abusers
-children born of women HIV positive or children who drive HIV positive mother breast
milk
✔✔What are the steps of the invasion process of HIV? - ✔✔-HIV introduced into blood
-virus finds CD4 cells and binds to membrane and inserts RNA into CD4 cytoplasm
-reverse transcriptase is used to convert RNA to DNA
-DNA goes to nucleus of CD4, uses integrase to insert new viral DNA into host cells
DNA
-can remain dormant for years
-this person is now HIV positive, but does not have AIDS
✔✔How does HIV turn into AIDS? - ✔✔-HIV wakes up at some point in the CD4 cell
-DNA is transcribed into RNA that moves into CD4 cytoplasm
-new RNA goes to ribosomes and new viral proteins are built and modified using
proteases
-new virus buds from infected cell and destroys CD4 and causes decrease in number of
CD4 cells
, less CD4= increased susceptibility to infections and opportunistic infections
✔✔How can HIV be diagnosed? - ✔✔ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) is
used FIRST
-test for antibodies to HIV
- if positive second test will be done
WESTERN BLOT
-second test/ confirmatory test that is more expensive, but more specific and fewer false
positive
✔✔A person is usually diagnosed as having AIDS when CD4 count reaches ____ -
✔✔below 200 cells per cubic mm of blood
-important! because at this point, the body cannot fight off opportunistic infection!
✔✔___ and ___ are the usual criteria for diagnosis of AIDS - ✔✔CD4 under 200 and
presence of opportunistic infection (OI)
✔✔What are examples of typical OI's? - ✔✔-thrush- yeast infection in throat and mouth
-pneumocystisi jiroveci pneumonia (fungus that invades lungs)
-cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis- virus normally harmless invades eyes
-Kaposi's syndrome- malignant skin tumor that invades immunocompromised people
✔✔The S/S of AIDS are due to OI' and atrophy of tissues and include? - ✔✔-weight
loss
-anorexia
-general cachexia
-weakness
-dementia
✔✔What kind of drug can be used to target viral invasion and replication? - ✔✔protease
inhibitors
✔✔How can OI's be treated? - ✔✔prophylactic (preventative) sulfonamides (sulfa
drugs) DAILY to prevent OI's
✔✔What is ID? - ✔✔infectious disease disorders in which tissue damage or dysfunction
is produced by a microorganism
✔✔What is endemic? - ✔✔disease that exists all the time in certain communities
malaria is endemic to Africa
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔What is immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-An abnormality in one or more branches of the
immune system that renders a person susceptible to disease normally prevented by an
intact immune system so ALL immunodeficient diseases have in common:
-more susceptible to disease
-opportunistic diseases (microbes that are normally harmless)
✔✔What are the subcategories of mechanisms of action for immunodeficient disorders?
- ✔✔-humoral (B cells) immunodeficiency
-Cell mediated (t cell) immunodeficiency
-combined b-cell and t-cell immunodeficiency
✔✔What is congenital immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-present at birth
✔✔What is acquired immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-develops after birth
✔✔What are examples of combined B and T cell immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-
diminishment or absence of BOTH humoral and cell mediated immunity
-Congenital: SCIDS (severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome) caused by diverse
genetic mutations that can lead to complete absence of all immune function "bubble
boy"
-Acquired: irradiation and cytotoxic drugs for cancer- wipe out bone marrow and dont
have enough T and B lymphocytes, immunosuppressant drugs post transplant, aging
✔✔What are examples of humoral (b cell) immunodeficiency? - ✔✔-mostly a congenital
problem
-X linked hypogammaglobulinemia
-IgG missing or lessened
-sequela: more easily get infections
✔✔What are examples of cell mediated (t cell) immunodeficiency? - ✔✔Congenital:
-DiGeorge's syndrome- genetic defect on chromosome 22 that causes failure of
development of thymus which causes decreased ability to fight infections because
immature t cells
Acquired:
-AIDS caused by HIV
-virus invaded CD4 cells and kills them and decreases ability to mount immune
response because CD4 is so important as introductory component to development of
various immunities
,✔✔AIDS is an _____ that is now worldwide - ✔✔Acquired cell mediated
immunodeficiency
✔✔AIDS originated in ____ when ____ infected ____ and was eaten by humans -
✔✔Africa
chimpanzee meat was infected with SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus)
✔✔How is AIDS transmitted? Where is it not found? - ✔✔-person to person via infected
bodily fluids in vaginal lining, breast milk, or direct blood to blood contact such as
sharing IV drug or receiving tainted blood transfusion
-stool, urine, tears, sweat, saliva
✔✔The groups at the highest risk for HIV? - ✔✔-unprotected sex
-homosexual/bisexual men "MSM" (men who have sex with men)
-women who have intercourse with MSM
-IV drug abusers
-children born of women HIV positive or children who drive HIV positive mother breast
milk
✔✔What are the steps of the invasion process of HIV? - ✔✔-HIV introduced into blood
-virus finds CD4 cells and binds to membrane and inserts RNA into CD4 cytoplasm
-reverse transcriptase is used to convert RNA to DNA
-DNA goes to nucleus of CD4, uses integrase to insert new viral DNA into host cells
DNA
-can remain dormant for years
-this person is now HIV positive, but does not have AIDS
✔✔How does HIV turn into AIDS? - ✔✔-HIV wakes up at some point in the CD4 cell
-DNA is transcribed into RNA that moves into CD4 cytoplasm
-new RNA goes to ribosomes and new viral proteins are built and modified using
proteases
-new virus buds from infected cell and destroys CD4 and causes decrease in number of
CD4 cells
, less CD4= increased susceptibility to infections and opportunistic infections
✔✔How can HIV be diagnosed? - ✔✔ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) is
used FIRST
-test for antibodies to HIV
- if positive second test will be done
WESTERN BLOT
-second test/ confirmatory test that is more expensive, but more specific and fewer false
positive
✔✔A person is usually diagnosed as having AIDS when CD4 count reaches ____ -
✔✔below 200 cells per cubic mm of blood
-important! because at this point, the body cannot fight off opportunistic infection!
✔✔___ and ___ are the usual criteria for diagnosis of AIDS - ✔✔CD4 under 200 and
presence of opportunistic infection (OI)
✔✔What are examples of typical OI's? - ✔✔-thrush- yeast infection in throat and mouth
-pneumocystisi jiroveci pneumonia (fungus that invades lungs)
-cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis- virus normally harmless invades eyes
-Kaposi's syndrome- malignant skin tumor that invades immunocompromised people
✔✔The S/S of AIDS are due to OI' and atrophy of tissues and include? - ✔✔-weight
loss
-anorexia
-general cachexia
-weakness
-dementia
✔✔What kind of drug can be used to target viral invasion and replication? - ✔✔protease
inhibitors
✔✔How can OI's be treated? - ✔✔prophylactic (preventative) sulfonamides (sulfa
drugs) DAILY to prevent OI's
✔✔What is ID? - ✔✔infectious disease disorders in which tissue damage or dysfunction
is produced by a microorganism
✔✔What is endemic? - ✔✔disease that exists all the time in certain communities
malaria is endemic to Africa
