All things WBC Flashcards
normal platelet count?
150-450 x 10^3 is normal range
which cells look like?
eos: 1-3 lobes, granulations
basophils: just see granules
neutrophils: 3-5 lobes, granulations
monocytes: kidney shaped nucleus
stages of RBCs
- Proerythroblast: large, round cell with mild basophilia
- Basophilic erythroblast: smaller cell, deeply basophilic cytoplasm
- Polychromatophilic erythroblast: basophilic ribosomes, eosinophilic cytoplasm
- Normoblasts: eosinophilic cytoplasm that resembles erythrocyte
- Nucleated red cells: not normal to see in the blood
stages of granulocytes?
- Myeloblast: no cytoplasm granules, basophilic cytoplasm
- Promyelocyte: cytoplasm contains black/purple granules, nuclei may be present
- Myelocyte: eccentric round oval nucleus, primary azurphilic granules, fine secondary granules
- Metamyelocyte “Juvenile” Granulocyte: see indented nucleus as major factor
neutrophil stages?
- Myeloblast: no cytoplasm granules, basophilic cytoplasm
- Promyelocyte: cytoplasm contains black/purple granules, nuclei may be present
- Myelocyte: eccentric round oval nucleus, primary azurphilic granules, fine secondary granules
- Metamyelocyte “Juvenile” Granulocyte: see indented nucleus as major factor
Metamyelocyte → Band Neutrophil (Horseshoe nucleus) → segmented polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN or Neutrophil or Polys)
• in PMN see lobation of granulocyte into thin thread-like chromatin filaments joining 2-5 lobes
WBC range?
WBC (x103/μL) 4.8 – 10.8 (upper limit is 10,000!)
granulocyte range?
Granulocytes (%) 40-70
note: absolute counts
Leukoerythroblastosis
= abnormal release of immature precursors into the peripheral blood – often due to distorted marrow architecture from deposition of metastatic cancer or granulomatous disorders
Myeloid Tissues:
: bone marrow and cells derived from it – RBCs, platelets, granulocytes, monocytes
Leukocytosis
Proliferative disorders- increase in WBCs
see an expansion of leukocytes - increase in lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes
Leukopenia
= low number of circulating white cells
• most often due to reduced number of neutrophils (Leukopenia or Neutropenia)
• Lymphopenia (decreased B and T cells) is less common – and most often observed in HIV infection, glucocorticoid therapy, cytotoxic drugs, AI disorders, malnutrition, certain acute viral infections
Neutropenia
reduction in number of neutrophils in the blood
o Inadequate or ineffective granulopoiesis
• suppression of HSC’s seen in aplastic anemia
• suppression of committed granulocytic precursors due to drugs
• disease states associated with ineffective hematopoiesis – megaloblastic anemia
• congenital conditions
o accelerated destruction or sequestration of neutrophils in periphery:
• immunologically mediated injury to neutrophils – such as SLE
• splenomegaly – leads to sequestration of neutrophils and modest neutropenia
• increased peripheral utilization due to overwhelming bacterial, fungal or rickettsial infection
o Symptoms of Neutropenia: infection, malaise, chills, fever, weakness and fatigability – also see ulcerating necrotizing lesions on gingiva, floor of mouth or oral cavity
Agranulocytosis
= clinically significant reduction in neutrophils
o most common cause is drug toxicity~ aminopyrine, chloramphenicol, sulfonamides, chlorpromazine, thiouracil, phenylbutazone
o Symptoms: infections are overwhelming and may cause death w/in hours to days
Leukocytosis
: increase in the number of white cells in the blood
• Causes:
o Increased production in marrow: due to chronic infection, paraneoplastic syndrome, chronic myeloid leukemia
• in acute infection there is a rapid increase in egress of mature granulocytes from bone marrow pool, mediated by TNF and IL-1
o increased release from marrow stores: endotoxemia, infection, hypoxia
o decreased margination: due to exercise or catecholamines
o decreased extravasation into tissues: due to glucocorticoids
neutrophilic leukocytosis
- Neutrophilic Leukocytosis = acute bacterial infections, esp. with pyogenic organisms
Bacterial infections = neutrophils = Neutrophilic Leukocytosis
• Ex. Staph, Strep, Neisseria
• Exceptions? TB – see granulomatous forming of macrophages, Syphils
eos leukocytosis
- Eosinophilic Leukocytosis = allergic disorders such as asthma, hay fever, parasitic infections, drug reactions
basophilic leukocytosis
- Basophilic Leukocytosis = often indicative of myeloproliferative disease (chronic myelogenous leukemia)
monocytosis
- Monocytosis = chronic infections (TB), bacterial endocarditis, AI disorders, inflamm. bowel disease
lymphocytosis
= often accompanies monocytosis in TB and viral infections (Hep A, CMV, EBV)
location of B and T cells?
o Follicular hyperplasia: B cells – RA, toxoplasmosis, HIV
o Paracortical hyperplasia: T cells – often due to acute viral infection
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH):
a life-threatening disease of severe hyperinflammation caused by uncontrolled proliferation of activated lymphocytes and macrophages characterised by proliferation of morphologically benign lymphocytes and macrophages that secrete high amounts of inflammatory cytokines. It is classified as one of the cytokine storm syndromes.
o “macrophage activation syndrome”
o see systemic activation of macrophages and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells
o Familial forms of HLH impact the ability fo cytotoxic T cels and NK to properly form/deploy cytotoxic granules – associated with high levels of IFNgamma, TNFalpha, IL6, IL12, IL2
Clinical Features:
• acute febrile illness with associated splenomegaly and hepatomegaly
• prognosis is grim – usually survive less than 2 months
lymphoid neoplasms
B-cell, T-cell, NK- cell origin
lymphomas
= proliferations arise in tissue of lymph nodes (T cells and B cells)
Hodgkin Lymphoma
o All present as nontender enlarged lymph nodes
o See fever and pruritis related to release of cytokines from inflammatory cells responding to tumor cells
o HL spreads in an ORDERLY fashion, thus it can be staged
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
o 2/3 of NHLs present as enlarged nontender lymph nodes, remaining 1/3 present with sx related to involvement of extranodal sites (skin, stomach, brain)
o Peripheral T cell lymphomas – often see release of inflammatory cytokines and pruritis
o Spreads wide early, in a less predictable fashion than HL
Plasma Cell Neoplasms – i.e. multiple myeloma – causes bony destruction of skeleton and presents with pain due to pathologic fractures
Leukemias
= are circulating neoplasms of WBC’s (granulocytes, RBCs, platelets) – term used for widespread involvement of the bone marrow and peripheral blood
• Lymphocytic leukemias normally present with sx related to suppression of normal hematopoiesis by tumor cells in bone marrow
Neoplasms of Immature B and T cells
ALL (both BALL and TALL)
• Bone marrow is hypercellular and packed with lymphoblasts
Clinical Presentation:
• abrupt stormy onset of sx within weeks
• Sx are due to depression of marrow function: fatigue, anemia, fever (reflecting infections secondary to neutropenia); bleeding (due to thrombocytopenia)
• bone pain: due to marrow expansion and neoplastic infiltration
• generalized lymphadenopathy; splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, testicular enlargement
• CNS manifestations: headache, vomiting, nerve palsies due to meningeal spread
Peripheral B cell neoplasms?
- SLL/CLL - most common leukemia of adults (mature B cells - affects bone marrow and lymph nodes)
- FL: most common indolent lymphoma of adults - (affects follicular center B cells - lymphadenopathy)
- DLBCL: most common NHL of adults - (diffuse pattern of growth in lymph node)
- Burkitt Lymphoma: most aggressive - tumor of mature B cells arising at extranodal sites
Plasma Cell neoplasms?
- These will all secrete M proteins- monoclonal Ig!!
1. MM: neoplastic plasma cells secreting IgG or IgA
2. LL (lymphoblastic lymphoma): “hyperviscosity syndrome” see IgM
Uncommon Lymphoid neoplasms?
- Mantle Cell lymphoma: indolent! naive B cells - see germinal center
- Marginal Zone Lymphoma: indolent! primed B cells - from chronic inflammation (H. pylori)
- Hairy Cell Leukemia: indolent! mature B cells
indolent tumors?
MCL, MZL, SLL/CLL, HCL
which two do you see massive MASSIVE splenomegally?
HCL, and CML (largest!)
Peripheral NK/T cell lymphomas/leukemias?
- PTCL (Peripheral T cell Lymphoma): effaced lymph nodes with T cells- pruritis!
- ALCL (anaplastic large cell lymphoma) - ALK positive: infiltrative T cell clusters
- Adults T cell Leukemia: aggresive CD4+ tumor assoc. with HTLV-1, Japan
- Mycosis Fungoides/Sezary Syndrome: CD4+ T cells that home to the skin (skin lesions)
- Large granular lymphocytic leukemia: cytotoxic T cells/NK cells
- Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma: highly destructive nasopharyngeal mass
tumors seen in children/YA’s. …
- BALL - most common cancer of children!
- TALL - seen in adolescent males, thymic mass
- African (endemic) Burkitt’s lymphoma (royal blue cytoplasm, mandibular mass)
- Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: ALK positive T cell
- Nodular Sclerosing HL- mediastinal mass
- multifocal multisystemic langerhans cell histiocytosis: cutaneous lesions and bone lesions
types of hodgkins lymphomas?
- Nodular Sclerosing HL: seen in younger adults - most common!
- Mixed Cellularity: second most common! biphasic age
- Lymphocyte Rich:
- Lymphocyte depletion: HIV/developing countries
- Lymphocyte predominance: popcorn cells, only CD20+ - younger males
types of myeloid neoplasms?
AML:
M1 = AML w/out maturation: very immature, >3% of blasts are myeloperoxidase positive
M2 = AML with myelocytic maturation: auer rods present (t;8;21)
M3: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL): many auer rods, high incidence of DIC, t(15;17)
M4: Acute Myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML): myeloperodixase positive, monoblasts positive for nonspecific esterases inv(16)
M5: Acute monocytic leukemia: myeloperoxidase negative, nonspecific esterase positive
M7: acute megakaryocytic leukemia: see blasts with platelet specific Abs such as GPIIb/IIIa or vWF
auer rods and t(8;21)
AML with myelocytic maturation
auer rods and t(15;17)
acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)
inv(16)
AML with myelmonocytic maturation (AMML)
myeloperodixase positive, monoblasts positive for nonspecific esterases
AMML
see inv(16)
myeloperoxidase negative, nonspecific esterase positive
acute monocytic leukemia
types of myeloproliferative disorders?
- CML (chronic myelogenous leukemia) - general leukocytosis - BCRABL and MASSIVE splenomegally, LAP is low
- PCV (Polycythemia Vera): mostly RBCs - JAK2, low EPO, thrombosis/bleeding
- Essential thrombocytosis: just increased platelets - JAK2, thrombosis/hemorrhage
- Primary Myelofibrosis: collagen depsosition in the marrow; anemia and splenomegally
ALL
- Most common type of cancer in children! (more common in boys, white)
- May be derived from either precursor B or T cells = lymphoblasts!
- Highly aggressive tumors manifest signs of bone marrow failure, or rapidly growing masses
- tumor cells contain genetic lesions that block differentiation, leading to accumulation of immature, nonfunctional blasts
- approximately 90% present with structural chromosomal changes: most often is hyperdiploidy
- Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) = seen only in pre-B and pre-T cell lymphocytes
Histology:
• Bone marrow is hypercellular and packed with lymphoblasts
• Tumor cells have scant basophilic cytoplasm and larger nuclei
• “starry sky” appearance
Clinical:
• abrupt stormy onset of sx within weeks
• Sx are due to depression of marrow function: fatigue, anemia, fever (reflecting infections secondary to neutropenia); bleeding (due to thrombocytopenia)
• bone pain: due to marrow expansion and neoplastic infiltration
• generalized lymphadenopathy; splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, testicular enlargement
• CNS manifestations: headache, vomiting, nerve palsies due to meningeal spread
** with aggressive chemo about 95% of children with ALL obtain a complete remission and 75% are cured
TdT
ALL: seen only in pre-B and pre-T cell lymphocytes
hyperdiploidy?
often seen in ALL
good prognosis with ALL?
age 2-10, low WBC count, hyperdiploidy, trisomes of 4/7/10, t(12;21)
bad prognosis with ALL?
under age 2 or adolescent/adult, peripheral blasts >100,000, t(9;22) Philadelphia chromosome resulting in BCR-ABL fusion mutation
BALL
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (BALL)
• Bone marrow precursor B cell
• Loss of function mutation in PAX5, t(12;21) with RUNX1 and ETV6 in 25%
• Markers: CD10, intracellular TdT, CD19, PAX5
Clinical Present:
• Predominantly children! peaks around age 3
• symptoms relating to loss of bone marrow → increased infection due to bacteria
• often have low platelet counts which sets up for DIC
T cell markers?
CD1,3,4,5,8
B cell markers?
CD10, CD19, CD20, 21, 23
monocyte markers?
CD11c, CD13, 14, 15, CD33, CD64
NK markers?
CD16, CD56
pluripotent HsC markers?
CD34
CD10, intracellular TdT, CD19, PAX5
BALL
CD1, CD2, CD5, CD7
TALL
t(12;21) with RUNX1 and ETV6
BALL
TALL
• Precursor T cell (often of thymic origin)
• Gain of function mutation in NOTCH1 gene
• Markers: CD1, CD2, CD5, CD7
Clinical Presentation:
• Present in adolescent males as thymic masses with variable bone marrow involvement
• compression of large vessels and airways in mediastinum may result from thymic enlargement
NOTCH1
gain of fn mutation in TALL
SLL/CLL
• Most common leukemia of adults in US!
o 2:1 male predominance, median age 60 y/o
• Tumor of mature B cells that usually manifests with bone marrow and lymph node involvement
• Markers: CD19, CD20, CD23 and CD5 (pan B-cell markers) – along with low level expression of IgM or IgD
• chromosomal translocations are rare – usually deletions of 13q, 11q, 17p and trisomy 12q
morphology: lymph node architecture is gone and they are effaced with infiltrates of small lymphocytes
- “smudge cells”
Clinical presentation:
• Indolent course, commonly assoc. w/ disruption of immune function, including increased susceptibility to infection and AI disorders: hypogammaglobulinemia is common and contributes to infections
• “nonspecific sx” easy fatigability, w/l, anorexia
• generalized painless lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly – present in 50% of cases
• small monoclonal Ig “spike” present in blood of some patients
CLL vs SLL
CLL and SLL differ only in degree of peripheral blood lymphocytosis
• CLL >5000 absolute lymphocyte count
Smudge cells and effaced lymph nodes
CLL/SLL
Richter’s syndrome
= aggressive phase of CLL/SLL –> prolymphocyte evolution/ transformation to diffuse large cell lymphoma
• seen in approx. 5-10% of patients – see rapidly enlarging mass within a lymph node or spleen (less than 1 year survival rate)
BCL2
this is overexpressed due to t(14;18) in FL, resulting in lack of promotion of apoptosis and growth of B cells in follicles
Follicular lymphoma
• most common indolent lymphoma (low grade) of adults!
• most cases associated with (14;18) translocation that results in overexpression of BCL2**
• Markers: CD19, CD20, CD10, surface Ig, BCL6, BCL2
o unlike CLL/SLL CD5 is not expressed!
o unlike normal germinal centers, BCL2 is expressed – indicative of follicular lymphoma
Histology:
• Tumor cells recapitulate the growth pattern of normal germinal center B cells
• predominantly nodular/diffuse growth pattern observed in lymph nodes
• “centrocytes” see small cells with irregular nuclear contours and scant cytoplasm
• “centroblasts” larger cells with open nuclear chromatin and modest amounts of cytoplasm
Clinical Presentation:
• painless, generalized lymphadenopathy
• involvement of extranodal sites such as GI tract, CNS and testis is relatively uncommon
• Survival mean 7-9 years
• Histological transformation occurs in 30-50% of cases to large G cell lymphoma
• lymphocytosis seen in 10% of cases
• Low dose chemotherapy is given
how to tell SLL/CLL from FL? from DLBCL? from Burkitts?
SLL/CLL:
- effacement of nodes
- CD5 is a marker
FL:
- germinal center follicle growth
- CD5 is not expressed, rather have BCL6, BCL2 primraily
DLBCL:
- see large cell size, and diffuse nodular effacement
- CD5 not expressed, has BCL6 primarily and BCL2
- others turn into this! its bad.
Burkitts:
- very aggressive, extranodal!
- no BCL2 like the others, has BCL6
- c-MYC transformation
DLBCL
• most common NHL lymphoma of adults!
o male predominance
o median age 60 y/o
• heterogenous group of mature B cell tumors that share a large morphology and aggressive behavior
• rearrangements or mutations of BCL6 gene**; 1/3 carry (14;18) translocation involving BCL2
o BCL6 represses the expression of factors that normally serve to promote germinal center B cell differentiation, growth arrest, and apoptosis
• may arise from follicular lymphoma
• Markers: CD19, CD20, CD10, BL6
Morphology:
• see relatively large cell size and diffuse pattern of growth in the lymph node
• usually moderately abundant cytoplasm
Clinical Presentation:
• presents as a rapidly enlarging mass at a nodal or extranodal site
• can arise anywhere on body, though Waldeyer ring (oropharyngeal lymphoid tissue, tonsils, adenoids are most often involved) – involvement of liver and spleen may take form of large destructive masses
• extranodal sites: GI tract, skin, bone, brain
• bone marrow involvement is uncommon and usually occurs late in the course
• aggressive tumor that is rapidly fatal without treatment!
o individuals with limited disease fare better than those with widespread disease/bulky tumor masses
Note: if has BCL2 positivity, think that it started as follicular lymphoma
Immunodeficiency-associated large B-cell lymphoma:
type of DLBCL that occurs insetting of severe T cell ID such as HIV – neoplastic B cells are often infected with EBV
Primary Effusion lymphoma:
type of DLBCL that presents as a malignant pleural or ascetic effusion – mostly in older individuals with advanced HIV
a. tumor cells are often anaplastic in appearance and fail to express surface B or T cell markers
b. all cases are infected with KSHV/HHV-8
c-Myc
Burkitt’s lymphoma
• All forms strongly associated with proto-oncogene c-MYC, on chromosome 8 → leading to increased MYC levels
o MYC is master txn regulator that increases the expression of genes that are reqd for aerobic glycolysis, aka “Warburg Effect”
Burkitt’s lymphoma
• Very aggressive! tumor of mature B cells that usually arise at extranodal sites
• All forms strongly associated with proto-oncogene c-MYC, on chromosome 8 → leading to increased MYC levels
o MYC is master txn regulator that increases the expression of genes that are reqd for aerobic glycolysis, aka “Warburg Effect”
• unlike other B-cell origin tumors, BL almost always fails to express BCL2
• Markers: CD19, CD20, CD10, BCL6, IgM
• Tumor cells often latently infected with EBV
o infection precedes transformation
Categories:
1. African (endemic) BL
2. Sporadic (non-endemic, American) BL
3. HIV infected BL
Morphology:
• “starry sky” morphology
• tumor exhibits high mitotic index containing numerous apoptotic cells
• see royal blue cytoplasm containing clear cytoplasmic vacuoles
Clinical Features:
• Fastest growing tumor!!
• Very aggressive, but responds well to chemotherapy – most children and young adults are cured
• Both endemic and sporadic BL are found mainly in children / young adults
• most tumors manifest at extranodal sites
• Endemic BL presents as a mass involving the mandible and shows a predilection to involvement of abdominal viscera: kidneys, ovaries, adrenal glands
• Sporadic BL most often appears as mass involving the ileocecum
HTLV1
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma
starry sky night morphology? with royal blue cytoplasm and clear cytoplasmic vacuoles?
Burkitt’s lymphoma
EBV
seen in burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphomas, many B cell-lymphomas ariseing in the setting of T –cell immunodeficiency (i.e. HIV)
HHV-8
“KSHV/HHV-8” – associated with unusual B-cell lymphoma that presents as a malignant effusion, often in the pleural cavity
M component
a monoclonal Ig identified in the blood – in reference to myeloma. Complete M components have high MW and are restricted to the plasma and ECF
- Neoplastic plasma cells often synth. xs light chains along with complete Igs – level of free light chains is usually elevated and markedly skewed toward one light chain: light chains are small in size and are excreted in the urine
Most myelomas are associated with more than 3gm/dL of serum Ig OR more than 6mg/dL or Bence Jones proteins in urine
o most common M protein is IgG, followed by IgA
o about 1% of myelomas are nonsecretory thus the absence of detectable M proteins does not completely exclude the ddx.
Bence Jones Proteins:
MM- light chains that are small enough to be excreted in the urine
Multiple Myeloma path/genetics?
- Most common and deadly of plasma cell dyscrasias - plasma cell tumor that manifests with multiple lytic bone lesions associated with pathologic fractures and hypercalcemia
- neoplastic plasma cells suppress normal humoral immunity and secrete partial immunoglobulins that are nephrotoxic
“monoclonal spikes”: see increased levels of Igs in the blood
o Most myelomas are associated with more than 3gm/dL of serum Ig OR more than 6mg/dL or Bence Jones proteins in urine
o most common M protein is IgG, followed by IgA
o about 1% of myelomas are nonsecretory thus the absence of detectable M proteins does not completely exclude the ddx.
• Genetics: associated with diverse translocations involving the IgH locus; frequent dysregulation and overexpression of D cyclins; 13q deletions
o high serum IL6 levels → needed for growth of plasma cells
Markers: + CD138 (ada adhesion molecule molecule syndecan-1), CD56
IgG, IgA
multiple myeloma
CD138+
MM