HBV...oww

[SaintJude]

What?? Only background they claim you need is: Viral hepatitis is an infection of the specialized liver cells.

Patients with chronic HBV who also have immunosupressive diseases (such as AIDS) are more likely to have asymptomatic chronic hepatitis. Which conclusion about HBV best fits with this observation?

A. It results from direct infection of the cells of the immune system.
B. Resolution of the disease requires a well-functioning immune system.
C. Hepatitis is a result of toxins secreted by virus-infected cells that act on neighboring uninfected cells.
D. Liver injury cells from attack by the immune system on liver cells studded with viral antigens.

Hmm, typing the question out is making the answer clearer, but I'm still not 100 on this one.

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[MedPR]

What?? Only background they claim you need is: Viral hepatitis is an infection of the specialized liver cells.

Patients with chronic HBV who also have immunosupressive diseases (such as AIDS) are more likely to have asymptomatic chronic hepatitis. Which conclusion about HBV best fits with this observation?

A. It results from direct infection of the cells of the immune system.
B. Resolution of the disease requires a well-functioning immune system.
C. Hepatitis is a result of toxins secreted by virus-infected cells that act on neighboring uninfected cells.
D. Liver injury cells from attack by the immune system on liver cells studded with viral antigens.

Hmm, typing the question out is making the answer clearer, but I'm still not 100 on this one.

I don't even understand what answer "D" is trying to say...?

 

[SLC]

Answer is D

A can't be correct because the info they give you states that the virus infects specialized liver cells. Even if you don't know the answer you can eliminate that one right away.

B is incorrect because it really has nothing to do with what they're asking. It's a very tempting choice though, because it's got all the ingredients you might think you need. Still this answer is referring to the elimination of the virus, not the production of an asymptomatic infection.

C can't be correct because viruses don't secrete toxins, or induce cells to secrete toxins. They just hijack cells and use their DNA replication/transcription machinery to reproduce.

D is the correct answer because if you know anything about Hepatitis you know that the damage comes from the body's own immune system attacking and destroying infected cells. So someone with an immunocompromised state would have virally infected cells, but the immune response (and hence, the damage) would not occur.

I think you need to know a little more than they're letting on, but that's the basic gist of the question.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Answer is D

A can't be correct because the info they give you states that the virus infects specialized liver cells. Even if you don't know the answer you can eliminate that one right away.

B is incorrect because it really has nothing to do with what they're asking. It's a very tempting choice though, because it's got all the ingredients you might think you need. Still the answer is referring to the elimination of the virus, not the production of an asymptomatic infection.

C can't be correct because viruses don't secrete toxins, or induce cells to secrete toxins. They just hijack cells and use their DNA replication/transcription machinery to reproduce.

D is the correct answer because if you know anything about Hepatitis you know that the damage comes from the body's own immune system attacking and destroying infected cells. So someone with an immunocompromised state would have virally infected cells, but the immune response (and hence, the damage) would not occur.

I think you need to know a little more than they're letting on, but that's the basic gist of the question.

I agree with this. You can definitely answer this question based on some basic knowledge of the immune system (which I think EK covers, IIRC) and the question stem. The key words were "immunosuppressive" and "asymptomatic" suggesting that normally, symptoms appear because the immune system is active against the infection and thus, is damaging liver cells. When the immune system is taken out of the equation (ie. the immunosuppresive part of the question stem), you don't see the symptoms.

 

[SaintJude]

Yeah, the book says it's D. Thanks Kaushik for the explanation. The "asymptomatic" hepatitis threw me off and your explanation makes senses.

I also did not actually realize that virus don't secrete toxins or induce cells to secrete toxins. From now on, if I see any answer choices suggesting viruses releasing toxins, I will know it's wrong. Thank you SLC--that was a great post.