Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF), is an autosomal recessive disorder [figure 1.], caused by a mutation in two genes on chromosome 7 – the genes responsible for the way water and salts pass in and out of the cells in the body. CF affects the secretion and reabsorption of chloride ions, producing a much thicker than normal layer of mucus (in the lungs, pancreas and liver primarily) that is ideal for bacteria and infection to flourish. The faulty gene may fail to produce the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein or may produce the protein however this protein is faulty is such a way that it does not regulate chloride secretion and reabsorption properly or at all. Currently there are a wide array of …show more content…
The mechanism of cystic fibrosis; simply put is the physical blockage of chloride ions as a result of a defective gene located in the long arm of chromosome 7 at region q31-q32 [figure 2.]. This gene is responsible the exocrine gland function involving multiple organ systems, primarily the respiratory system, gastrointestinal (GI) tract and reproductive system. With the faulty CFTR gene, the epithelial cells in the body cannot channel chloride ions across the membrane [figure 3.] and affecting the cells ability to properly regulate sodium and water, as they are closely related. The water is needed to produce a healthy, thin layer of mucus that protects against infection and keeps the membrane moist. This mucus builds up in the lungs, pancreas and liver mostly, creating harsh breathing conditions for the patient and a lack of digestive enzymes and bile for breaking down nutrients and in some cases lower than normal insulin …show more content…
With regards to the respiratory system, CF patients are required to wear a chest wall oscillator once daily for 30 minutes to mechanically agitate the mucus build up that they would otherwise not be cough up. On top of the “vest” treatment, they also must take anti-inflammatories and antibiotics regularly to prevent infection and inflammation. As for the GI tract, no mechanical treatment is available, so patients must ingest digestive enzyme supplements that the pancreas cannot deliver naturally. In some cases patients develop CF related diabetes, as the pancreas is also responsible for providing the body with insulin to regulate blood sugar concentrations. On top of these treatments, people with CF must boost the amount of calories and salts in their diets to compensate for the malnourishment and for the amount of salt released by the patients
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that causes thickened mucus to form in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. It affects a specific protein called Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) that controls the normal movement of sodium, chloride, and water in and out of the cells within the body. Those diagnosed with CF have either too little or abnormal CFTR. When CFTR is absent or defective, the mucus usually secreted by the cells in the pulmonary airways, pancreatic ducts, and gastrointestinal tract become thickened, leading to obstructions, frequent infection, and loss of function in the affected organs (Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors, 2018). According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
CF is caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CTFR) gene, which encodes a chloride ion channel that regulates osmotic balance across the epithelium through the transport of sodium ions and water4. Mutations
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder in which mucus glands produce abnormally thick secretions. These secretions can lead to chronic infections of the lungs and eventually lead to obstruction of the pancreas, resulting in digestive enzyme deficiency, the liver is also sometimes affected. Secretions from the sweat and salivary glands of a CF patient frequently contain abnormally high amounts of sodium and chloride. Because the body produces a high amount of salt, a sweat test is generally used to diagnose the disorder.
A person with Cystic Fibrosis is affected by these symptoms on a daily basis, making their life harder. These symptoms force people with Cystic Fibrosis to live with a daily routine, where they are required to have one or two nebulisers, every morning and night with physio sessions in between. According to Cystic Fibrosis Australia (2015), they are also required to take up to 40 tablets a day, consisting of enzymes each time they eat. They also have keep their lungs and body active with exercise and a healthy diet, making sure they eat nutrients and healthy fats to maintain a healthy body weight and avoid
The Main treatment for someone with lung problems with CF is chest physical therapy, which is also called chest clapping or percussion. CPT is done by pounding your chest and back repeatedly with your hands or device to loosen the mucus from your lungs so that you can cough it up. Exercise is also a choice of a treatment plan, exercised that make you breathe harder can help loosen the mucus in your airways so you can cough it up. Medication can also be used to treat Cystic Fibrosis, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medicines, bronchodilators, or other medication that can help clear the mucus buildup in the lungs(“Cystic
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease which is progressive and limits breathing ability. The lungs and other organs are affected by a thick buildup of mucus. This mucus traps bacteria which leads lung damage, infections, and respiratory failure. The digestive enzymes being released is prevented, affecting the breakdown of food and nutrients being absorbed. ?More than 30,000 children and adults in the United States have Cystic Fibrosis. 70,000 people worldwide.? (Diagnosed With Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) Someone who has Cystic Fibrosis have a defective gene from each parent which produces faulty protein. The CFTR gene is the gene that is mutated causing this. The channel that transports chloride in and out of cells is created by instructions that are created by CFTR gene. The regulation of chloride ions and water are prevented creating the thick mucus formed on the passageways of lungs, pancreas, and other organs. Cystic Fibrosis doesn?t cause learning problems are mobility of the person. Babies with this still develop and grow up normally. The average life expectancy is close to 40 years, and has been increasing in the last fifty years thanks to improved care. ?Chronic coughing, recurring chest colds, wheezing, shortness of breath, frequent sinus infections, and allergies that last all year, are the most common symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis.? (Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms) Since this disease is progressive
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system (National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute, 2013). CF is caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene located on chromosome 7q31 (Beery & Workman, 2012, p. 192). More than 1600 different mutations in this gene have been identified, but 70% of cystic fibrosis patients have the amino acid ΔF508 defect. This mutation occurs when the CFTR protein is missing three nucleotides at position 508 which codes for the amino acid phenylalanine essential to nutrition (Scott, 2013, p. 493).
CF is broken into 6 classes of the disease. Class 1 through 3 appears to be more severe than the latter 4 through 6; which mainly result in only pancreatic deficiency. The rate of deaths due to cystic fibrosis is dependent on the class of disease and age of diagnosis which can range from 6 months old to 10 years old. The average age of survival, with treatment, in the United States is 25 years old. Abnormal secretions cause respiratory, digestive and reproductive obstructions. Respiratory failure is caused by mucous impaction of airways due to plugging, chronic inflammation and infection. Respiratory infections are the main cause of death. A person with cystic fibrosis has a persistent cough or wheeze resulting in some sputum production and reoccurring pneumonia. This excess mucus creates a chronic bronchiectasis within the lungs resulting in cyst and peripheral bullae formation. (McCance et al., 2010) Excessive coughing called coughing fits normally allow a person to clear their airways and remove the excess fluid from their lungs. However, in CF when a person has a coughing fit they produce very little mucus excretion and do not have any symptom relief. This could cause a rupture of one of the many peripheral bullae leading to pneumothorax, a collapsed lung. (McCance et al.,
Cystic Fibrosis cannot be developed or contracted it is something you’re born with. CF is a recessive disease, it occurs when a child inherits one defective copy of the gene from each parent. This gene mutation is responsible for cystic fibrosis. ("Cystic fibrosis Canada," 2011) This gene is known as the CFTR gene ("www.medincinet.com," 1996). Reference Figure 3. The “gene makes a protein that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of your body's cells. In people who have cystic fibrosis, the gene makes a protein that doesn't work right. This causes the thick, sticky mucus” ("www.medincinet.com," 1996).
The type of mutation that causes Cystic Fibrosis occurs in the CFTR gene, or Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator gene. This gene is important to the body because it helps provide channels that transport negatively charged particles (chloride ions) in and out of the cell. Chloride has an important role in the human body by how it controls the movement of water in tissue, which allows mucus to become thin. Mutations in the CFTR gene interrupts the function of the chloride channels. It makes the regulating process of the flow of chloride ions and water across the cell membranes not happen. This causes passageways to produce mucus that is very thick. The thick mucus causes these passageways to clog, and trap
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, chronic disease of the secretory glands which directly affects the lungs and digestive system (NLM, 2015). To look more closely at a cellular level, there is a defective gene in which their protein product that regulates movement of sodium
The CF gene is found in Chromosome 7. Mutations in the CFTR gene cause cystic fibrosis. This protein functions as a channel across the membrane of cells that produce mucus, sweat, saliva, tears, and digestive enzymes The CFTR gene provides instructions for making a channel that transports negatively charged particles called chloride ions into and out of cells. Chloride is a component of sodium chloride, a common salt found in sweat. The official name of this gene is “cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator “or
Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease caused by mutations in a gene on 7th pair of chromosomes. Cystic Fibrosis is a chromosomal abnormality, meaning that one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes are not what they are supposed to be. A person without Cystic Fibrosis has a gene in chromosome 7, which produces a normal and substantial amount of protein called Cystic Fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), which in turn produces thin and watery mucus. A person with Cystic Fibrosis has a gene in chromosome 7, which produces either abnormal CFTR protein or no CFTR protein at all, which causes the body to produce thick and sticky mucus “A person with CF produces abnormal CFTR protein — or no CFTR protein at all, which causes the body to make thick,
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive gene that causes a wide range of symptoms because there are over 1,000 changes or mutations that can occur within the cystic fibrosis transmembrane receptor (CFTR) protein. The CFTR protein is generally a chloride ion chain “regulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate and therefore can act as a regulator of other electrolyte channels”(Grossman, S., & Grossman, L. 2005, p. 46). Typically this protein allows chloride ions to exit mucus-producing cells allowing water to flow in and thin the mucus. However, if the CFTR protein has been mutated, such as in cystic fibrosis, chloride ions cannot exit. This causes the mucus to thicken, become sticky, and obstruct the various channels it passes through. This build up of mucus also prevents bacteria from being cleaned from cells thoroughly increasing the patients risk for infections (Grossman, S., & Grossman, L. 2005). However, the severity of CF depends on whether the patients have complete or partial loss of the CFTR gene. If the person has the classic form of CF abnormalities of CFTR will commonly affect “…the respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine and metabolic, and genitourinary systems”(Schram, C. 2012). However, if people have atypical forms of CF their genetic disorder may only affect one of the organ systems and may not be found until the patient develops symptoms in their late childhood, early adolescence, or adulthood
Cystic Fibrosis is caused by a genetic defect in Chromosome 7. Chromosome 7 encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, also known as CFTR. There are over 1,000 mutations of this gene causing cystic fibrosis, with each mutation manifesting as a different variation of disease onset and clinical presentation. The most common mutation is the loss of phenylalanine residue at deltaF508. The abnormal functioning CFTR causes impaired chloride transport and more viscous secretions. The defect causes dehydrated secretions in the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Being dehydrated, these secretions become more difficult to move throughout the body. Along with impaired