Question 1

Interferons are small proteins that&#10;A) exert nonspecific antiviral activity&#10;B) control cell differentiation&#10;C) limit excessive cell proliferation&#10;D) modify certain immune processes&#10;E) all the above are true

Accepted Answer

Interferons are small proteins that exert nonspecific antiviral activity, control cell differentiation, limit excessive cell proliferation, and modify certain immune processes. Therefore, all the choices are true.

Question 2

Viral infections are often more difficult to treat than other types of infections because&#10;A) viruses contain organelles (ribosomes, mitochondria, etc.) that are naturally resistant to antiviral drugs&#10;B) virus particles are much larger in size than other infectious microorganisms such as bacteria&#10;C) viruses penetrate into human cells, and cannot be easily killed without harming the human cell&#10;D) all the above are true&#10;E) none of the above are true

Accepted Answer

Viruses are much smaller than human cells and they need to penetrate into or infect a human cell, in order to replicate and spread. Once the virus has entered the cell, it becomes much more difficult to kill without harming the human cell because the virus is essentially taking over the cell's machinery to make more copies of itself. Antiviral drugs typically work by targeting specific steps in the virus life cycle, but any drug that kills the virus also has the potential to harm the host cell. This difficulty in killing the virus without harming the host cell is a major reason why viral infections can be challenging to treat. Choice A is incorrect because viruses do not contain organelles; they are much simpler in structure and rely on the host cell's organelles for replication. Choice B is incorrect because viruses are typically much smaller than bacteria, not larger.

Question 3

An antiviral vaccine is typically created by&#10;A) combining several antiviral drugs in the same pill&#10;B) administering a single, strong antiviral drug just after to the onset of infection&#10;C) administering a single, strong antiviral drug at the peak of the viral infection&#10;D) administering drugs that suppress the immune response to viral infection&#10;E) none of the above are true

Accepted Answer

An antiviral vaccine is typically created by using weakened or inactivated viruses, viral proteins, or genetic material from the virus to stimulate an immune response that can provide protection against future viral infections. This process is different from the options presented in choices A-D, which all involve the use of drugs rather than vaccines.

Question 4

Reverse transcriptase inhibitors such as zidovudine,didanosine,and lamivudine are especially important for physical therapists because they may cause side effects such as&#10;A) peripheral neuropathy&#10;B) myopathy&#10;C) joint pain&#10;D) all the above are true&#10;E) none of the above are true

Accepted Answer

Reverse transcriptase inhibitors can cause a variety of side effects including peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), myopathy (muscle weakness), and joint pain. Therefore, all of the above options are true. As physical therapists, it is important to be aware of these potential side effects when working with patients who are taking these medications.

Question 5

In people infected with HIV,highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)typically consists of&#10;A) one reverse transcriptase inhibitor at maximal dosage&#10;B) one protease inhibitor at maximal dosage&#10;C) two drugs, e.g. a RTI plus a protease inhibitor&#10;D) two drugs, e.g. a nonnucleoside RTI plus a nucleoside RTI&#10;E) three drugs, e.g. two nucleoside RTIs and one nonnucleoside RTI

Accepted Answer

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) typically consists of three drugs, including two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and one nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). This combination is known to be effective in reducing HIV viral load and slowing the progression of the disease. The inclusion of multiple drugs with different mechanisms of action helps to prevent the development of drug-resistant strains of HIV. Therefore, option E is the best choice for HAART in people infected with HIV.

Question 6

All of the following drugs strategies are currently approved by the FDA to treat HIV infection EXCEPT&#10;A) drugs that inhibit the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme&#10;B) drugs that inhibit the HIV protease enzyme&#10;C) drugs that inhibit the HIV integrase enzyme&#10;D) drugs that inhibit HIV entry into susceptible lymphocytes (i.e, HIV entry inhibitors)&#10;E) drugs that stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy the virus if a person is exposed to HIV (i.e, an HIV vaccine)

Accepted Answer

None of the currently approved HIV treatments involve stimulating the immune system to recognize and destroy the virus, which is the mechanism for an HIV vaccine. Therefore, the correct answer is E. Choices A, B, and C involve inhibiting different enzymes involved in the HIV replication process, and choice D involves blocking HIV from entering susceptible cells, all of which are currently approved strategies for treating HIV.

Question 7

Certain anti-HIV drugs (e.g.,zidovudine,didanosine,and zalcitabine)are known as reverse transcriptase inhibitors because they&#10;A) prevent adsorption/penetration of HIV into T4 lymphocytes&#10;B) inhibit transcription of viral RNA to viral DNA&#10;C) inhibit insertion of viral DNA into host-cell chromosomes&#10;D) all the above are true&#10;E) none of the above are true

Accepted Answer

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme used by HIV to transcribe its RNA genome into DNA, which can then be inserted into the host cell's genome. Reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) such as zidovudine, didanosine, and zalcitabine work by blocking this process, specifically the transcription of viral RNA to viral DNA.

Deck 34: Treatment of Infections II: Antiviral Drugs