AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specific training objectives: basic knowledge on the origin and pathogenetic mechanisms of diseases. Course contents: Concept of homeostasis and disease. Intrinsic causes of disease. Physical, chemical and nutritional causes. Biotransformation of xenobiotics. Principles of radical pathology. Cellular pathology. The body's response to damage: inflammation and repair. Immunity and related pathologies. Oncology.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main purpose of the course is to provide students with basic knowledge on the etiology and pathogenetic mechanisms of diseases in humans, as well as the mechanisms of tissue response to damage: inflammation, shelter and adaptive immunity. Attendance at lectures and individual study will allow the student a) to know the causes of human diseases, b) to recognize the different responses of adaptation to damage, c) to describe and classify inflammatory responses and d) to describe and classify epithelial and connective tumors.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching is organized in frontal classroom lectures for a total of 40 hours. In periods of weather or health emergency, lectures are held remotely using the TEAMS platform.

Students with documented Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or with disabilities, are invited to contact the professor and the Pharmacy Department LSD contact person (Prof. Luca Raiteri, Luca.Raiteri@unige.it) at the beginning of the course to agree on any teaching methods that, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Fields of the study of General Pathology. Concept of homeostasis. Differences between the disease, the pathological state, process and phenomenon. Reversible and irreversible cell damage. Cell death: necrosis and apoptosis. Cellular pathology.

GENERAL AETIOLOGY: genetic and chromosomal disorders. Radiations. Trauma and wound repair. Burns and frostbite. Mode of action of pathogenic chemicals. Alteration of the pH. Solvent action. Denaturing action. Toxic action. Enzymatic defenses: Phase I and II biotransformation mechanisms. Causes of proteic malnutrition: marasma and kwashiorkor. Anorexia and bulimia. The water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins related deficiencies. Deficiencies in minerals. Obesity. Dietary relationships with atherogenesis and cancer.

INFLAMMATION

Definition, causes and stages. Chemical mediators. Vasoconstriction. Vasodilation, the active hyperemia and the consequences on the balance of Starling-Landis. The increase of the permeability and the inflammatory edema formation. The chemical mediators of cellular and plasma origin. Chemotaxis, diapedesis and phagocytosis. The passive hyperemia and its consequences; cyanosis and its mechanism; inflammation tissue suffering. The acute phase reaction: mechanisms, consequences and significance. Resolution and its possible outcome: healing (with recovered fully or outcome scar) and regressive diseases. Classification of acute inflammation: serous, fibrinous, mucous, purulent, hemorrhagic, necrotic, allergic. Chronic inflammation and chronic inflammatory infiltrate cells. The types of chronic inflammation (widespread and granulomatous). Granulomas: definition and etiology. Structure of tuberculous granuloma and its possible evolution. Notes on tuberculosis (primary complex, post-primary tuberculosis).

FEVER: Termoproduction and heat dispersion. Febrile hyperthermia. Types of fever.

IMMUNOLOGY: Generalities. Innate and adaptive immunity. Cytokines. Complement system. Antigens and antibodies. Cells of the immune system. Immune responses to infectious agents. Vaccines.

IMMUNOPATHOLOGY: Hypersensitivity reactions (I, II, III, IV type). Autoimmune diseases. Congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies. Tumor immunology. Transplant immunology. Immunosuppressive drugs.

CANCER: molecular basis of cancer: oncogenes and their activation. Alterations of tumor suppressors. Etiology of cancer. Initiation and promotion. Classification of tumors.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The teaching material and slides used during the lectures are available on Aulaweb.

Other specific information on the bibliography will be provided by the professor at the beginning of the lectures.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

General Pathology lectures begin in the second semester of the academic year at last February/early March. The link to the Degree Course web page is as follows:.

https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/index.php?view=easycourse&_lang=it&include=attivita&anno=2025&attivita=EC111635

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of an oral test. Two exam sessions will be available during the winter period (January and February), one session during Easter holidays, three sessions during the summer (June and July) and two during the autumn period (September).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Details on how to prepare for the exam and the level of depth of each topic will be provided during the lectures. The oral exam will focus on the discussion of some topics concerning the program and the professor will verify if the student has achieved the aims and learning outcomes. The ability to show, summarize and critically analyze the contents of the program will also be evaluated.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule.