Diseases Of White Blood Cells, Lymph Nodes, Spleen, And Thymus Flashcards
What is the ratio fat cells/ hemopoietic elements in the bone marrow of normal adults?
1:1
What is the general classification of the disorders of white blood cells?
- Proliferative disorders (reactive and neoplastic)
2. Leukopenias
What is the pathogenetic basis of agranulocytosis (neutropenia)?
- Inadequate or ineffective granulopoiesis
2. Accelerated removal of neutrophils from the blood.
When is inadequate or ineffective granulopoiesis observed?
- Suppression of hematopoietic stem cells.
- Suppression of committed granulocytic precursors.
- Diseases associated with ineffective hematopoiesis.
- Rare congenital conditions (Kostmann syndrome).
When does accelerated removal or destruction of neutrophils occur?
- Immunologically mediated injury to neutrophils.
- Splenomegaly
- Increased peripheral utilization.
What are the factors that influence the peripheral blood leukocyte count?
- The size of the myeloid and lymphoid precursor and storage cell pools in the bone marrow.
- The rate of release of cells from the storage pools into the circulation.
- The proportion of cells that are adherent to blood vessels at any time.
- The rate of extravasation of the cells from the blood into the tissues.
What are the Döhle bodies?
Patches of dilated ER that appear as sky-blue cytoplasmic “puddles” - morphologic change of the neutrophils in leukocytosis.
What are the cases in which it is difficult to distinguish reactive from neoplastic leukocytoses?
- Acute viral infection (in children)
2. Severe infections : many immature granulocytes appear in the blood.
What are the morphologic features in acute nonspecific lymphadenitis?
- Nodes are swollen, gray-red and engorged.
- Large reactive germinal centers containing numerous mitotic figures.
- Appearance of pus.
- Neutrophilic infiltration and endothelial hyperplasia.
In follicular hyperplasia, what are the two main regions in the germinal center?
- A dark zone, containing proliferating blastlike B cells (centroblasts).
- A light zone composed of B cells with irregular or cleaved nuclear contours (centrocytes).
What are the main causes for follicular hyperplasia?
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Early stages of HIV infection
What is sinus histiocytosis (also reticular hyperplasia)?
Refers to an increase in the number and size of the cells that line lymphatic sinusoids.
What is the general classification of malignancies of WBC?
- Lymphoid neoplasms
- Myeloid neoplasms : acute myeloid leukemia + myelodysplastic syndromes + chronic myeloproliferative disorders.
- Histiocytoses
What are the main general genetic abnormalities that occur in the pathogenesis of white cell neoplasms?
- Nonrandom chromosomal abnormalities (mostly translocations).
- Mutated genes are important for development, growth, differentiation of WBCs.
- Oncoproteins often block normal maturation.
- Proto-oncogenes are often activated in lymphoid cells by errors that occur during antigen receptor rearrangement and diversification.
What are the three lymphotropic viruses that have been implicated as causative agents in particular lymphomas?
- EBV
- HTLV-1 (human T-cell leukemia virus)
- Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus / HHV-8.
What are the five broad categories of lymphoid neoplasms?
- Precursor B-cell neoplasms
- Peripheral B-cell neoplasms
- Precursor T-cell neoplasms
- Peripheral T-cell and NK-cell neoplasms
- Hodgkin lymphoma (neoplasms of Reed-Sternberg cells and variants)
Mention 6 important principles relevant to the lymphoid neoplasms.
- Histologic examination required for diagnosis.
- In most lymphoid neoplasms, antigen receptor gene rearrangement precedes transformation.
- Vast majority are B cell neoplasms.
- Lymphoid neoplasms are often associated with immune abnormalities.
- Neoplastic T and B cells tend to recapitulate the behavior of their normal counterparts.
- Hodgkin lymphoma spreads in an orderly fashion.
What is acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (ALL)?
Neoplasms composed of immature B or T cells, which are referred to as lymphoblasts.
What is the most common cancer in children?
ALL
Describe briefly the immunophenotype of ALLs?
TdT - specialized DNA polymerase expressed only in pre-B and pre-T.
B-ALL : CD19 and PAX5.
T-ALL : CD1-2-5-7.
What is the basis of molecular pathogenesis in ALLs?
90% have numerical or structural chromosomal changes (hyperploidy, hypoploidy, or balanced chromosomal translocations).
What are the main clinical features in ALL (very close to AML clinically)?
- Abrupt stormy onset (days to few weeks of the first symptom).
- Symptoms related to depression of marrow function.
- Mass effects caused by neoplastic infiltration.
- CNS manifestations
Mention 4 factors that are associated with a worse prognosis in ALL.
- Age under 2.
- Presentation in adolescence or adulthood.
- Peripheral blood blast counts greater than 100.000, which probably reflects a high tumor burden.
- The presence of particular cytogenetic aberrations (such as t(9;22) - Philadelphia chromosome).
Mention 5 favorable prognostic markers in ALL.
- An age of 2-10 years.
- Low white cell count.
- Hyperploidy
- Trisomy of chromosomes 4,7,10
- Presence of a t(12;21).
What is the difference between chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL) (both peripheral B-cell neoplasms)?
Only in the degree of peripheral blood lymphocytosis. (>4000 per mm3).
What are the morphologic features in CLL/SLL?
- Infiltration of lymph nodes with small lymphocytes admired with variable larger activated lymphocytes.
- These cells often gather in loose aggregates, the proliferation centers.
- These centers are pathognomonic for CLL/SLL.
- Smudge (disrupted) cells in the smear.
What is the immunophenotype in CLL/SLL?
- Classic : CD19-20 as well as CD23-5 (CD5 on a small subset of normal B cells).
- Low level Ig expression is also typical.
What does most commonly happen in the molecular pathogenesis of CLL/SLL?
Unlike most other lymphoid malignancies, not translocations, but deletions.
What are the principal clinical features of CLL/SLL?
- Asymptomatic at diagnosis
- Nonspecific symptoms when appear.
- Lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly.
- Highly variable leukocyte count
- Variable course and prognosis
Mention 4 facts in patients with CLL/SLL that favor a worse outcome.
- Deletions of 11q and 17p
- Lack of somatic hypermutation
- Expression of ZAP-70 (protein that augments signals produced by Ig receptor.
- Tendency to progress to more aggressive tumors - richter syndrome.
What is the most common form of indolent NHL ?
Follicular lymphoma
What happens briefly in follicular lymphoma ?
The tumor likely arises from germinal center B cells and is strongly associated with chromosomal translocation of BCL2.
What are the two principal cell types that are present in follicular lymphoma in varying proportions?
- Small cells with irregular or cleaved nuclear contours and scant cytoplasm, referred to as centrocytes (small cleaved cells).
- Larger cells with open nuclear chromatin, several nucleoli and modest amount of cytoplasm (centroblasts).
What is the hallmark of follicular lymphoma?
A 14;18 translocation that juxtaposes the IgH locus on chromosome 14 and the BCL2 locus on chromosome 18 - leading to overexpression of BCL2.
What are the major clinical features of follicular lymphoma?
- Painless generalized lymphadenopathy.
- Extra nodal involvement is uncommon.
- Survival 7-9 years.
- Histologic transformation occurs in 30% to 50% (commonly to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma).
What is the most common form of NHL?
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
What is the most common morphologic feature of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma?
Relatively large size (usually four to five times the diameter of a small lymphocyte) and diffuse pattern of growth.
Mention a frequent pathogenic event in the molecular pathogenesis of large diffuse B-cell lymphoma.
Dysregulation of BCL6 (DNA zinc finger transcriptional repressor required for the formation of normal germinal centers).
Mention two important subtypes of DLBCL.
- Immunodeficiency-associated large B-cell lymphoma.
2. Primary effusion lymphoma
What are the main clinical features of DLBCL?
- Typically presents as a rapidly enlarging mass as a nodal or extranodal site.
- It can arise anywhere - lymphoid tissue involved commonly.
- Aggressive tumor, rapidly fatal without treatment.
What types of Burkitt lymphoma exist?
- African (endemic) Burkitt lymphoma
- Sporadic (nonendemic) Burkitt lymphoma
- Subset of aggressive lymphomas occurring in individuals infected with HIV.
All histologically identical, but differ in some clinical, genotypic, and virologic characteristics.
What are the main morphologic feature of Burkitt lymphoma?
- Diffuse infiltrate of intermediate-sized lymphoid cells.
- High mitotic index and numerous apoptotic cells.
- Starry sky pattern - abundant clear cytoplasm of phagocytes.
What is the main pathogenic event in the molecular pathogenesis of Burkitt lymphoma?
Translocations of the c-MYC gene on chromosome 8.
What is the most common plasma cell neoplasm?
Multiple myeloma
What terms are used to describe abnormal Igs in plasma cell neoplasms?
- Monoclonal gammopathy
- Dysproteinemia
- Paraproteinemia
What are the 5 principal clinicopathologic entities associated with monoclonal gammopathies?
- Multiple myeloma
- Waldenström macroglobulinemia
- Heavy chain disease
- Primary or immunocyte-associated amyloidosis.
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.
What is multiple myeloma?
A plasma cell neoplasm that is characterized by multifocal involvement of the skeleton.
What cytokine plays a critical role in multiple myeloma for the proliferation and survival of myeloma cells?
IL-6
How myeloma cells lead to bone destruction (main pathologic feature of multiple myeloma)?
Via the myeloma derived MIP-1α - induces RANKL - osteoclasts.
What are the most commonly affected bones in multiple myeloma?
- Vertebral column
- Ribs
- Skull
- Pelvis
- Femur
- Clavicle
- Scapula
From where are the main clinical features of multiple myeloma stem?
- Effect of plasma cell growth in tissues (particularly bones)
- Production of excessive Igs - abnormal physicochemical properties.
- Suppression of normal humoral immunity.
What are the main clinical features of multiple myeloma?
- Bone absorption : lead to pathologic fractures and chronic pain.
- Hypercalcemia
- Recurrent bacterial infections
- Renal insufficiency - multifactorial - Bence-Jones proteinuria.
- Certain light chains are prone to amyloidosis.
What other myelomas progress inevitably to multiple myeloma?
- Solitary myeloma (plasmacytoma)
- Smoldering myeloma
- MGUS
What is the most common plasma cell dyscrasia?
Monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS).
What happens in lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma?
- B-cell neoplasm of older adults.
- Superficial resemblance with CLL/SLL - but the tumor cells differentiate to plasma cells.
- Secretion of IgM
- Hyperviscosity syndrome (Waldenström macroglobulinemia)
What are the main clinical features of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma?
- Nonspecific complaints (weakness, fatigue)
- Half the patients : lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly.
- Autoimmune hemolysis: cold agglutinins
What characterizes the hyperviscosity syndrome?
- Visual impairment
- Neurologic problems
- Bleeding
- Cryoglobulinemia
What is the major immunophenotype in mantle cell lymphoma?
- High levels of cyclin D1.
- CD19
- CD20
- Moderately high levels of surface Ig.
- CD5+ and CD23- distinguish from CLL/SLL.
What is the basis Of the molecular pathogenesis in mantle cell lymphoma?
Cyclin D1 overexpression caused by an (11;14) translocation involving the IgH locus on chromosome 14 and the cyclin D1 locus on chromosome 11.
What are the three exceptional characteristics of the marginal zone lymphomas occurring at extranodal sites?
- Often in tissue with chronic inflammation disorders of autoimmune or infectious etiology (Sjögren salivary gland, Hashimoto thyroiditis).
- Remain localized for prolonged periods - only terminally spreading.
- They may regress if the inciting agent is eradicated.
Describe briefly what is a peripheral T-cell lymphoma?
- Tumors of the mature T cells
- Efface lymph nodes diffusely
- Composed of pleomorphic mixture of variable sized malignant T cells.
- Infiltrate of eosinophils, macrophages
- Brisk angiogenesis
What is the immunophenotype of peripheral T cell lymphoma?
- That of mature T cells.
- CD2-3-5
- Either αβ or γδ T cell receptors.
- Some also CD4-8 (helper or cytotoxic origin)
What are the symptoms in peripheral T cell lymphoma, unspecified?
- Generalized lymphadenopathy
- Eosinophilia
- Pruritus (sort of itching)
- Fever
- Weight loss
What is the genetic aberration in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALK positive)?
This uncommon entity is defined by the presence of rearrangements in the ALK gene on chromosome 2p23.
What is the reliable indicator in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma?
The presence of ALK protein in tumor cells, because ALK is not expressed in normal T cells or other lymphomas.
What virus is associated with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma?
This neoplasm of CD4+ T cells is only observed in adults infected by human T cell leukemia retrovirus type I (HTLV-1).
What are the common findings in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma?
- Skin lesions
- Generalized lymphadenopathy
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Peripheral blood lymphocytosis
- Hypercalcemia
Describe briefly what is mycosis fungoides?
- Tumor of CD4+ T cells that home to skin.
- Three-stage progression : premycotic - plaque - tumor.
- Infiltration of epidermis and upper dermis by neoplastic T cells.
- Cerebrifrom appearance of T cells.
Describe briefly what is Sezary syndrome?
- A variant of mycosis fungoides - generalized exfoliative erythroderma.
- Leukemia of “Sezary” cells with characteristic cerebriform nuclei.
What is the immunophenotype in mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome ?
- Adhesion molecule CLA.
2. Chemokine receptors CCR4 and CCR10
Describe briefly what is large granular lymphocytic leukemia.
- Rare neoplasm of T cell/NK cells.
- Mild/moderate lymphocytosis and splenomegaly (T cell variant).
- Absent lymphadenopathy and hepatomegaly.
- Tumor cells : large lymphocytes with abundant blue cytoplasm and a few coarse azurophilic granules.
- T cell variant : CD3+
- NK cell variant : CD3- and CD56+.
- Neutropenia and anemia dominate the clinical picture.
What is the hallmark morphologic feature of Hodgkin lymphoma?
The presence of neoplastic giant Reed-Sternberg cells.
What are the 4 principal differences between NHL and HL?
- HL is more often localized to a single axial group of nodes (cervical, mediastinal, para-aortic).
- HL spreads orderly by contiguity.
- In HL mesenteric nodes and Waldeyer ring rarely involved.
- Extra-nodal presentation rare in HL.
What are the 5 subtypes of HL?
- Nodular sclerosis
- Mixed cellularity
- Lymphocyte-rich
- Lymphocyte depletion
- Lymphocyte predominance
Describe briefly the morphologic features of Reed-Sternberg cells.
- Large cells (>45μm)
- Multiple nuclei or single nucleus with multiple lobes.
- Large inclusion-like nucleolus about the size of a small lymphocyte.
Describe briefly the features of nodular sclerosis type of HL.
- Most common (65-70%)
- Presence of lacuna variant Reed-Sternberg cells.
- Deposition of collagen in bands that divide involved lymph nodes into circumscribed nodules.
- Fibrosis may be scant or abundant.
- Reed-Steinberg cells are found in a polymorphous background of inflammatory cells.
- Positive for PAX5, CD15-30.
What is the basis of the molecular pathogenesis in HL ?
The Ig genes of Reed-Sternberg cells have undergone both V(D)J recombination and somatic hypermutation, establishing an origin from a germinal center or post-germinal-center B cell.
+ activation of NF-kB is common.
Mention some important clinical features of HL.
- Presents as painless lymphadenopathy.
- Stages III and IV are more likely to have fever, night sweats and weight loss.
- Immune dysregulation
- Stereotyped spreading : nodal disease - splenic disease - hepatic disease - marrow and other tissues.
What is the common feature of myeloid neoplasms?
An origin from hematopoietic progenitor cells.
What are the three main categories of myeloid neoplasms?
- Acute myeloid leukemias : accumulation of immature myeloid forms (blasts) in the bone marrow suppresses normal hematopoiesis.
- Myelodysplastic syndromes : ineffective hematopoiesis leads to cytopenias.
- Myeloproliferative disorders : increased production of one or more types of blood cells.
What factors influence principally the specific manifestations of different myeloid neoplasms?
- The position of the transformed cells within the hierarchy of progenitors.
- The effect of the transforming events on differentiation.
What is acute myeloid leukemia?
A tumor of hematopoietic progenitors caused by acquired oncogenic mutations that impede differentiation, leading to the accumulation of immature myeloid blasts in the marrow.
On what is the diagnosis of AML based?
The presence of at least 20% myeloid blasts in the bone marrow.
What is the basis in the molecular pathogenesis of AML?
Genetic aberrations that disrupt genes encoding transcription factors that are required for normal myeloid differentiation.
Mention some important clinical features of AML.
- Within weeks or few months with complaints about anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia.
- Fatigue, fever
- Spontaneous mucosal and cutaneous bleeding.
- Findings similar to ALL.
- Frequent infections.
What are the myelodysplastic syndromes?
A group of clonal stem cell disorders characterized by maturation defects that are associated with ineffective hematopoiesis and a high risk of transformation to AML.
Mention the most important morphologic features of myelodysplastic syndromes?
- Marrow is usually hypercellular (it can also be normocellular, and rarely hypocellular).
- Disordered (dysplastic) differentiation affecting all cell lineages to varying degrees.
Describe briefly the clinical course of myelodysplastic syndromes.
- Age of onset is 70 years.
- Up to half patients is discovered incidentally on routine blood testing.
- When symptomatic : weakness, infections, hemorrhages, all due to pancytopenia.
- Median survival varies from 9-29 months.
What is the common pathogenic feature of myeloproliferative disorders?
The presence of mutated, constitutively activated tyrosine kinases.
What is the major result of the mutated tyrosine kinases found in the myeloproliferative disorders?
They circumvent normal and lead to the growth-factor independent proliferation and survival of marrow progenitors. They do not impair differentiation.
What are the 4 main common features among the myeloproliferative disorders?
- Increased proliferative drive in the bone marrow.
- Extramedullary hematopoiesis - homing of neoplastic stem cells to secondary hematopoietic organs.
- Marrow fibrosis and peripheral blood cytopenias.
- Variable transformation to acute leukemia.
What is more common? Lymphopenia or granulocytopenia?
Lymphopenia
Under what circumstances is lymphopenia observed?
- In advanced HIV infection.
- In congenital immunodeficiency diseases.
- Following therapy with glucocorticoids / cytotoxic drugs.
- In autoimmune disorders.
- In malnutrition.
- In certain acute viral infections (induced production of type I interferon).
What is the most common cause of agranulocytosis?
Drug toxicity
What drugs can result in agranulocytosis?
- Aminopyrine
- Chloramphenicol
- Sulfonamides
- Thiouracil
- Phenylbutazone
What is observed in acquired idiopathic neutropenia ?
Autoantibodies directed against neutrophil-specific antigens are detected.
What is the common consequence of agranulocytosis ?
Infections
What is the neutrophil count for serious infections to occur?
Below 500 per mm3.
What can cause increased production of leukocytes in the marrow?
- Chronic infection/inflammation.
- Paraneoplastic (Hodgkin lymphoma).
- Myeloproliferative disorders (CML).
What can cause increased release of leukocytes from marrow stores?
- Endotoxemia
- Infection
- Hypoxia
What can lead to decreased margination of leukocytes?
- Exercise
2. Catecholamines
What can lead to decreased extravasation of leukocytes?
Glucocorticoids
What can cause neutrophilia ?
- Acute bacterial infections, especially those caused by pyogenic organisms.
- Sterile inflammation caused by, for example, tissue necrosis (myocardial infarction, burns).
What can cause eosinophilia?
- Allergic reactions - asthma, hay fever.
- Certain skin diseases - pemphigus, dermatitis herpetiformis.
- Parasitic infestations.
- Drug reactions.
- Certain malignancies (Hodgkin and some NHL).
- Collagen vascular disorders + some vasculitides.
- Transient atheroembolic disease.
What can cause basophilia?
It is rare, often indicative of a myeloproliferative disease (CML).
What can cause monocytosis?
- Chronic infections (TB).
- Bacterial endocarditis.
- Rickettsiosis and malaria.
- Collagen vascular diseases (SLE).
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis).
What can cause lymphocytosis?
- Accompanies monocytosis in many chronic immunological disorders.
- Viral infections (hep A, CMV, EBV).
- Bordetella pertussis infection.
Are the lymph nodes in adults normal? :)
No, the lymph nodes are never “normal” or “resting”.
Trivial injuries and infections induce subtle changes.
What is the most common cause of acute nonspecific lymphadenitis in the cervical/inguinal-axillary regions?
Cervical region : most often due to microbial drainage from the teeth, tonsils.
Axillary/inguinal regions : due to infections in the extremities.
What is follicular hyperplasia?
It is defined by the presence of large oblong germinal centers (secondary follicles), which are surrounded by a collar of small resting naive B cells (the mantle zone).
It is caused by stimuli that activate humoral immune responses.
What are the tingible-body macrophages?
Interspersed between the germinal B centers is an inconspicuous network of antigen presenting follicular dendritic cells and macrophages (tingible-body macrophages).
These macrophages contain the nuclear debris of B cells, which undergo apoptosis, if they fail to produce an antibody with a high affinity for antigen.
What observations favor a follicular hyperplasia instead of a follicular lymphoma?
- Preservation of the lymph node architecture.
- Marked variation in the shape and size of the follicles.
- Presence of frequent mitotic figures, phagocytic macrophages, and recognizable light and dark zones (all of which tend to be absent from neoplastic follicles).