MedEdPORTAL (Jan 2012)
Complement Cascade TBL
Abstract
Abstract This complement cascade team-based learning (TBL) module bridges student understanding of innate and adaptive immune mechanisms to bacterial pathogenesis in relation to human health and disease. The module consists of an advanced preparation assignment that integrates the immune pathways of the complement system during an infection, a Readiness Assurance Test that assesses student competency with the assigned materials, and a group application exercise that applies the complement activation pathways in three clinical cases. The goal of the first case is to describe the biological activities of complement through discussion of a patient with recurrent meningococcal infections; the goal of the second, to explain the initiating events that distinguish the alternative, lectin, and classical pathways in complement activation, as well as the clinical consequences of a patient deficient in these events; and the goal of the third, to identify mechanisms that control complement activation and selectivity for pathogens. Key features of this exercise include discussion and interpretation of results from two laboratory tests, one measuring the efficiency of individual complement components, the other measuring cell surface expression of inhibitory molecules on human cells preventing complement activation. Twelve multiple-choice questions are embedded throughout the exercise. Medical students are to discuss these questions in teams to arrive at an answer. After each case, teams present their answers to the entire class. The instructor can then act as a facilitator, encouraging peer-to-peer clarification of inaccurate or incomplete responses. This TBL reinforces basic principles of the immune system by bridging innate and adaptive immune mechanisms through understanding the complement cascade. The material integrates the immune pathways of the complement system during an infection and the consequences that result from complement deficiencies.
Keywords
