21. Lab Investigations of White Cell Disorders Flashcards
What do the suffixes -philia, -penia and -cytosis mean?
- philia = high
- penia = low
- cytosis = increase
What are some physical characteristics of a normal neutrophil?
- has 3-5 lobes
- is granular
- is larger than a red cell
- pinkish
What are some physical characteristics of a normal lymphocyte?
- pretty much same size as red cell
- hardly any cytoplasm seen
- very large, dense nucleus
- blue
What is the order WBCs from most common to the least common?
1) Neutrophils
2) Lymphocytes
3) Monocytes
4) Eosinophils
5) Basophils
Describe lymphocytes
- Major role is in Adaptive Immune Response
- Differentiation between self and non-self
-e.g. Viral attack.
Lymphocytes produce antibodies to destroy that virus
-They make memory cells
What are the 3 major types of lymphocytes?
- T-cells
- B-cells
- Natural Killer (NK) cells
Describe the major function of each of the three types of lymphocytes.
T-cells are involved in Cell-Mediated Immunity - CD4+ T-Helper cells and CD8+ Cytotoxic T-cells
B-cells in Humoral Immunity i.e. Antibody
Production
NK cells are part of the Innate Immune system attacking virally infected cells and tumour cells
How does a monocyte look?
Biggest cell in the blood film
- 2 lobes of nucleus , like dumbbells
Vaculations - vacuoles?
How does an eosinophil look?
Exactly like neutrophils, - but granules are more dense and nearly orange in colour
How do basophils look?
- Thicker and darker granules
- Very distinct, can’t differentiate nucleus from cytoplasm
What are the different terminology related to neutrophilias?
- Toxic Granulation ~ dark, coarse granulations
- Shift to the LEFT ~ less loves as there is an earlier exit (hyposegmented)
- Shift to the RIGHT ~ Hypersegmented neutrophil (usually due to B12 folate deficiency)
- Döhle Bodies ~
When is neutrophilia normal and when is it not?
NORMAL:
- Post-operative
- Pregnancy
OTHER CAUSES:
- Bacterial Infection
- Inflammation (e.g. vasculitis, myocardial infarction)
- Carcinoma
- Steroid treatment
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- Treatment with myeloid growth factors
How would you investigate neutrophila?
- FBC and differential white cell count
- Blood film examination
- Bacterial culture screen for infection
- Bone marrow examination + chromosome analysis for chronic myeloid leukaemia - Philadelphia chromosome: translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22
- Molecular analysis for BCR-ABL oncogene
List some causes of neutropenia
- Viral Infection
- Drug Induced e.g. sulphonamides
- Radiotherapy and chemotherapy
- Part of a pancytopenia in bone marrow failure (aplastic anaemia) or infiltration e.g. leukaemia
- Racial: ‘benign ethnic neutropenia’
List some causes of eosinophilia
- Allergic diseases e.g. asthma hayfever
- Parasitic infections
- Drug sensitivity
- Myeloproliferative diseases e.g chronic myeloid leukaemia
- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
