What protein do immune complexes activate that can lead to glomerular damage?
Complement proteins
Insulin
Hemoglobin
Albumin
The Correct Answer is A
A. Complement proteins: In conditions like glomerulonephritis, immune complexes deposit in the glomerular basement membrane and trigger the complement cascade. This activation leads to the recruitment of inflammatory cells and the formation of membrane attack complexes. This results in significant tissue destruction and loss of filtration.
B. Insulin: This hormone is a peptide involved in glucose regulation and does not participate in the inflammatory or immunological destruction of renal tissue. It is filtered and partially degraded by the kidneys but does not trigger immune-mediated damage. It lacks pro-inflammatory effector functions.
C. Hemoglobin: While free hemoglobin can be toxic to renal tubular cells during massive hemolysis, it is not the protein activated by immune complexes to cause glomerular damage. Hemoglobin's primary role is oxygen transport. Its renal toxicity is usually pigment-induced acute tubular necrosis.
D. Albumin: This is the primary plasma protein that the kidney seeks to conserve. While the loss of albumin (albuminuria) is a sign of glomerular damage, the protein itself does not act as an effector of immune-mediated injury. It is a marker of damage, not the cause.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
B. False: The kidneys are located on the dorsal side of the body, specifically in the retroperitoneal space. They reside between the levels of the T12 and L3 vertebrae, protected by the posterior abdominal wall and ribs. Therefore, the term ventral is anatomically incorrect for these organs.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Because the filtration membrane is impermeable to water: The glomerular filtration membrane is highly permeable to water to allow for the production of 180 L of filtrate daily. Impermeability would prevent renal function entirely. Its high hydraulic conductivity is essential for the rapid movement of fluid and solutes.
B. Because osmolarity affects smooth muscle contraction: While ions affect excitability, the sensitivity of filtration to osmolarity is primarily a function of Starling forces. Direct smooth muscle effects do not explain the precise sensitivity of the filtration rate. The primary mechanism involves the balance of pressures in the capillaries.
C. Because of the low net filtration pressure across the filtration membrane: Net filtration pressure (NFP) is approximately 10 mmHg, representing the slim margin between hydrostatic and oncotic forces. Small changes in blood osmolarity alter the colloid osmotic pressure. Because the NFP is so low, these shifts significantly impact the total GFR.
D. Because osmolarity regulates aldosterone secretion: Aldosterone is primarily regulated by the renin-angiotensin system and serum potassium levels, not small fluctuations in blood osmolarity. Osmolarity primarily triggers ADH release. Furthermore, aldosterone affects tubular reabsorption, not the initial filtration rate at the glomerular tuft.
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