Repeated USMLE Questions Step 1- Review-160

Q- A patient with chronic kidney disease develops secondary hyperparathyroidism. Which of the following biochemical changes directly stimulates parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in this condition?

A- Decreased 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels

B- Decreased serum phosphate

C- Increased calcium-sensing receptor activation

D- Increased intestinal calcium absorption

A- Decreased 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels- In CKD, impaired renal 1-alpha-hydroxylase lowers active vitamin D, reducing calcium absorption and directly stimulating PTH release.

 

Q- A mutation prevents phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain of myosin in smooth muscle. Which immediate cellular effect is most likely?

A- Decreased actin-myosin cross-bridge formation

B- Increased calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum

C- Increased troponin C binding

D- Normal contraction with increased ATP consumption

A- Decreased actin-myosin cross-bridge formation- Smooth muscle contraction requires myosin light-chain kinase phosphorylation of myosin; without it, actin-myosin interaction is impaired.

 

Q- A child presents with recurrent viral infections. Flow cytometry shows absent MHC class I expression on all nucleated cells. Which immune defect best explains this finding?

A- Defective beta-2 microglobulin synthesis

B- Impaired CD4+ T-cell differentiation

C- Impaired TAP transporter function

D- Loss of thymic epithelial cells

C- Impaired TAP transporter function- TAP transports cytosolic peptides into the ER for loading onto MHC class I. Without TAP, MHC I molecules are unstable and absent on the cell surface.

 

Q- A drug irreversibly inhibits an enzyme by forming a covalent bond at the active site. Which pharmacologic change will restore maximal enzyme activity?

A- Increasing substrate concentration

B- Increasing enzyme concentration

C- Decreasing competitive inhibitors

D- Removing allosteric modulators

B- Increasing enzyme concentration- Irreversible inhibitors permanently inactivate enzymes; only synthesis of new enzyme can restore maximal activity.

 

Q- A patient has a mutation that prevents NADH oxidation in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Which metabolic consequence is most likely?

A- Decreased ATP production from oxidative phosphorylation

B- Increased flux through the citric acid cycle

C- Increased mitochondrial membrane potential

D- Reduced lactate formation

A-Decreased ATP production from oxidative phosphorylation- NADH oxidation drives proton pumping and ATP generation. Impairment reduces oxidative phosphorylation and cellular ATP production.

 

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