Collagen
Pleural effusion in rheumatoid or collagen vascular disease is all of the following EXCEPT:
What our notes say
- Pleural effusion in rheumatoid or collagen vascular disease is all of the following EXCEPT: (Internal Medicine Respiratory CAT 1: 30 MCQs and 5 short answer questions)
- Collagen deposition around a ring enhancing lesion is typical for an abscess that organizes. (CNS PATHOLOGY — Past Paper Questions & Answers)
- During injury, blood vessel is ruptured, endothelium is damaged and the collagen beneath is exposed. (Medical Physiology Assorted SAQs — With Answers (Past Paper Study Guide))
- When factor XII comes into contact with the exposed collagen it is converted to activated factor XII in the presence of a high molecular weight kininogen (HMW kinogen). (Medical Physiology Assorted SAQs — With Answers (Past Paper Study Guide))
- Platelet adhesion: platelets stick to exposed collagen through von Willebrand factor (GPIb). (Internal Medicine End of Semester CAT (MBChB 4): haematology and renal, 30 MCQs )
- Masson's Trichrome — collagen and fibrosis (collagen stains blue/green, muscle stains red) (Pathology Practical Revision Guide)
Study material on Collagen
- Lung Pathology — Must-Know
- Respiratory System Pathology 1A
- Aponeurosis — Histology Question Bank
- Cat. Pathology: Acute Inflammation, Mediators & Pulmonary Embolism
- Medical MCQs: Chemical Pathology & Haematology Exam Review
- FSGS & HIV Nephropathy: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Prognosis
- General Pathology Revision: Cell Injury, Inflammation & Adaptation (MBPA 3500 Paper 1)
- Mastering Joint Pathology: Arthritis, OA & Joint Anatomy
- Haemostasis & Coagulation: Platelet Function & Bleeding Disorders
- Platelet Disorders
- Oncopathology Hallmarks of Cancer MCQs
- Liver Histology, Physiology and Pathology — Practice Questions
- Liver Histology, Physiology and Pathology — Practice Questions
- Lung Pathology — Must-Know
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Practice questions on Collagen
A 45-year-old woman has had a 6-month history of recurrent fever, night sweats, and weight loss. She has cervical and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Lymph node biopsy shows a nodular pattern with broad bands of collagen and scattered lacunar cells that are CD15+ and CD30+. Most likely subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Mixed cellularity
- Lymphocyte predominance
- Nodular sclerosis
- Lymphocyte depletion
Answer: C. Collagen bands + lacunar cells (RS cell variant) + mediastinal involvement in a young woman = nodular sclerosis Hodgkin lymphoma. The most common subtype, most often presenting in young women with mediastinal disease. ---
A liver biopsy is examined to assess the extent of fibrosis. Which stain is most appropriate for demonstrating collagen deposition?
- Giemsa stain
- Oil Red O stain
- PAS stain
- Masson's trichrome stain
- Congo red stain ✅ Answer: D
Answer: A. Masson's trichrome stain is commonly used to differentiate collagen (blue/green) from muscle and cytoplasm (red), making it ideal for assessing fibrosis.
A 50-year-old male presents with chronic, non-bloody diarrhoea and diffuse abdominal pain. Colonoscopy is normal, but biopsies show a thickened subepithelial collagen band. What is the diagnosis?
- Lymphocytic colitis
- Collagenous colitis
- Crohn's disease
- Ulcerative colitis
Answer: B. Chronic non-bloody diarrhoea with a normal colonoscopy and a thickened subepithelial collagen band on biopsy is characteristic of collagenous colitis. ---
Cleavage of basement membrane collagen IV and laminin by MMPs serves what additional purpose beyond degradation?
- It completely inactivates these proteins
- It generates novel binding sites that promote tumor cell migration
- It produces potent angiogenesis inhibitors
- It activates p53-mediated apoptosis
Answer: B. ** Cleavage of collagen IV and laminin by MMP-2 or MMP-9 generates novel sites that bind to receptors on tumor cells and stimulate migration. The matrix is thus modified in ways that actively promote invasion and metastasis, not just passively allowing passage. ---
Which enzyme is responsible for cleaving type IV collagen in basement membranes and releasing VEGF from ECM-sequestered pools?
- MMP-2
- Cathepsin D
- MMP-9
- Urokinase plasminogen activator
Answer: C. ** MMP-9 is a gelatinase that cleaves type IV collagen of epithelial and vascular basement membranes and stimulates release of VEGF from ECM-sequestered pools. ---
Which enzyme cleaves collagen to produce endostatin, a potent angiogenesis inhibitor?
- MMP-2
- Proteases acting on collagen
- Cathepsin D
- Urokinase
Answer: B. ** Endostatin is produced by proteolytic cleavage of collagen by various proteases, serving as one of the potent angiogenesis inhibitors that balance pro-angiogenic signals. ---