A patient undergoing chemotherapy experiences a severe drop in neutrophil count. Which mechanism explains increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections?

💡 Explanation

Neutropenia, caused by chemotherapy, reduces neutrophil numbers. Because neutrophils are crucial for phagocytosis, the ability to engulf and destroy pathogens is impaired, therefore opportunistic infections occur, rather than heightened T-cell cytotoxicity, complement activation or excess cytokine production.

• Why does administering mismatched packed red blood cells (RBCs) expressing a foreign antigen result in rapid intravascular hemolysis?
• Why does peripheral neuropathy, resulting from unmanaged diabetes, primarily impair fine touch discrimination and proprioception in the feet before impacting pain or temperature sensation?
• If a person with a severe peanut allergy accidentally consumes peanuts, which consequence explains widespread vasodilation during anaphylaxis?
• Following in-vitro fertilization, a laboratory technician assesses pronuclei formation. Which outcome suggests normal fertilization, rather than polyspermy or parthenogenetic activation?
• An athlete experiences severe muscle fatigue during a high-intensity sprint. Which failure mode becomes likely as intracellular ATP levels rapidly deplete, impacting cross-bridge cycling?
• During resistance training, why does eccentric contraction induce greater muscle hypertrophy compared to concentric contraction at the same load?