Microbiome and immune system interactionsDownloads

A 72-year-old woman presents to the clinic complaining of diarrhea for the past week. She mentions intense fatigue and intermittent, cramping abdominal pain. She has not noticed any blood in her stool. She recalls an episode of pneumonia last month for which she was hospitalized and treated with antibiotics. She has traveled recently to Florida to visit her family and friends. Her past medical history is significant for hypertension, peptic ulcer disease, and hypercholesterolemia for which she takes losartan, esomeprazole, and atorvastatin. She also has osteoporosis, for which she takes calcium and vitamin D and occasional constipation for which she takes an over the counter laxative as needed. Physical examination shows lower abdominal tenderness but is otherwise insignificant. Blood pressure is 110/70 mm Hg, pulse is 80/min, and respiratory rate is 18/min. Stool testing is performed and reveals the presence of anaerobic, gram-positive bacilli. Which of the following increased this patient’s risk of developing this clinical presentation?

A medical student is reading about a specific type of T cells that plays an important role in immunologic tolerance. Most of these cells develop in the thymus, but some of them also develop in peripheral lymphoid organs. Usually, they are CD4+ cells and also express CD25 molecules. The functions of these cells are dependent on forkhead box P3 (Foxp3). Their function is to block the activation of lymphocytes that could react with self-antigens in a potentially harmful manner. Which of the following interleukins is secreted by these cells?