SBA — Single Best Answer · Review
Question 435
Pathology → General
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
A patient develops severe septic shock. Endotoxin initiates a macrophage-mediated inflammatory cascade. Which pair of cytokines is most directly implicated at this early stage?
Question Stem
Select the single best answer.
Options
A
IL-4 and IL-5
B
Interferon-alpha and IL-2
C
IL-10 and TGF-beta
D
Erythropoietin and thrombopoietin
E
TNF-alpha and IL-1
Explanation
In septic shock, lipopolysaccharide complexes with LPS-binding protein and activates macrophages, leading particularly to release of TNF-alpha and IL-1. Subsequent inflammatory, complement, coagulation and kinin-system activation contributes to vascular injury, vasodilatation, increased permeability and impaired tissue perfusion.
Option Validity
A) IL-4 and IL-5 are not the principal macrophage cytokines 's septic-shock pathway.
C) IL-10 and TGF-beta are not the cytokine pair for endotoxin-triggered septic shock.
D) Erythropoietin and thrombopoietin regulate blood-cell production rather than initiating the described septic inflammatory cascade.
B) Interferon-alpha and IL-2 are not the principal cytokines identified in this pathway.
Further Reading
Saxena R. Textbook for MRCOG-1. Chapter 5: Pathology. General Pathology, pp.161–175.