Haematology - Coagulation and Bone Marrow in Health and Disease Flashcards
Haematopoiesis
The process from which blood cells are produced and developed from a pluripotent stem cell
Where does haemopoiesis occur in the foetus
Foetal yolk sac, liver, spleen and lymph nodes
Where does haemapoiesis occur in babies in children
All bone marrow (red marrow —> yellow marrow)
Where does haemopoiesis occur in adults
Bone marrow of axial Skelton and proximal long bones
Extramedullary haematopoiesis
Haemaopoiesis occurring ourisde of the bone marrow e.g. liver and spleen
When does extra medullary haematopoiesis take place
Bone marrow disease e.g. myelofibrosis when marrow becomes occupied w/ fibrotic tissue
Yellow (fatty) marrow can also be recruited top produce blood cells
What may extramedulalry haematopoiesis lead to
Enlargement of liver +/- spleen
Erythropopiesis
Production and development of red cells
Production and development of granulocytes
Granulopoiesis
Thrombopoiesis
Production and development of platelets
Function of maegakaryocytes
Produce platelets and stay in bone marrow - does not pass into blood stream
Properties of haemopoeietic stem cells
Differentiation
Self-renewal
How long does it take for a stem cell to become a formed blood cell
2-3 weeks
How does the micorenevornment affects the function of haematopoietic stem cells
Growth factors
Interaction w/ neighbouring cells
Examples of growths factors stimulating different haematopoietic stem cells
Epo Tpo IL-5, IL-6 G-CSF M-CSF GM-CSF
Composition of blood
Specialised connective tissue w/ 4 main components: RBC, WBC, plasma and platelets
Where are blood cells found in the blood
Suspended in plasma
Blood volume in M and F
5-6L in M
4-5L in F
Cells formed from myeloid progenitor cells
RBC
Platelets
Granulocytes - eosinophil, basophil, neutrophils
Cells formed from lymphoid progenitor cells
B cells
T cells
NK cells
When will affected cell lineage number go up in the blood
If the stem cells is ‘overactive’ either because of clonal genetic defect (mlaignancy) or because environment drives activity
Why must haematoppoiesis be regulated
Blood cell production must match blood cell destruction
Production may need to be increased in certain situation e.g. bleeding, infection
How do haematopoietic growth factors affect cell production
Stimulate increased production
Red cells and erythropoietin (epo) feedback loop
Low blood oxygen causes liver and kidney to please epo into bloodstream
This increases number of red cells and increases oxygen-carrying capacity
Why might a high blood count occur
Primary - abnormal bone marrow
Secondary - normal bone marrow
Red cell destruction due to asnet or poorly perfuming spleen (hyposplenism)
Which is the most common reason for high blood counts
Secondary causes
Primary causes of leucocytosis
Leukaemia
Lymphoma
Myeloproliferative disorders
Bone marrow must be treated/ managed
Secondary causes of leucocytosis and thrombocytois
Infection Infl Infarction Tumour Stress/ trauma - leucocytosis only
Example of a condition causing primary thrombocytosis
Essential thrombocythemia
Treat/ manage bone marrow e.g. hydroxycarbamide
What is haematocrit (Hct)
Ratio of RBC to total blood volume
True erythrocytosis vs apparent polycythemia
True erythrocytes ‘polycythemia’ is an increased number of red cells (increased Hct)
Apparent polycythemia is caused by reduced plasma volume
Primary causes of erythrocytosis - clonal stem disorders
Polycythemia vera
Treat/ manage the bone marrow e..g venesection +/- hydroxycarbamide, plus aspirin
Causes of apparent polycythemia
Overweight
Smoking
Alcohol excess
Medications e.g. diuretics
Secondary causes of erythrocytosis - raised epo
Low oxygen in the blood e.g COPD Tumours Doping High affinity Hb - high altitudes Polycystic renal disease L to R shunt in heart
What can polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia lead to in untreated
Thrombosis
Reasons for low blood counts
Underproduction
Reduced survival in the circulation
Reasons for leucopenia - underproduction
Drugs affecting stem cells e.g. chemo
Part of pancytpenia due to marrow failure
Reasons for leucopenia - reduced survival
Autoimmune
Drugs
Consumption - flu
Combi e.g viral hepatitis - both the virus and drugs used to treat cause reduced survival
Reasons for thrombocytopenia - underproduction
Drugs affecting stem cell
liver failure (tpo underproduction)
Part of pancytopenia due to marrow failure
Reasons for thrombocytopenia - peripheral destruction
Autoimmune (ITP)
Hypersplenism (hiding in the spleen)
Drugs
Infections/ infl/ sepsis increases consumption of platelets
Hypersplenism
Inappropriate removal of erythrocytes, granulocytes or playlets from blood
What do pts w/ hypersplenism characteristically have
Splenomegalyu
Destruction or pooling of 1/1+ by the cell —> release of immature cells in PB
Normal bone marrow
Drugs causing peripheral destruction of platelets
Penicillin
Furosemide
NSAIDs
Reasons for low blood counts caused by reduced production
Myeloma - bone marrow overrun w/ functionally useless cells; normal cells incl stem cells crowded out Myelodysplasia Metastatic malignancy Myelofibrosis Leukaemia Lymphoma Aplastic anaemia Haematininc deficiency
Aplastic anaemia
Empty bone marrow cased by stem cell failure
Can be primary or most commonly secondary e.g. drug-induced, viruses
BM no longer produces blood cells
What does haematinic deficiency cause in blood counts
Pancytopenia
White cell malignancies divided by lineage
Myeloid cells - AML, myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplasia
Lymphoid cels - ALL, CLL, lymphoma, myeloma
White cell malignancies of immature cells (blasts)
AML
ALL
White cell malignancies of mute cells
Myeloproliferative disorders Myelodysplasia CLL Lymphoma Myeloma
What are the myeloproliferative disorders
Polycythemia Vera (PV)
C/c myeloid leukaemia (CML)
Essential thrombocythemia (ET)
Myelofibrosis
Myledysplasia (MDS)
Haematopoietic stem cell malignancies, related to myeloproliferative disorders
Abnormal maturation as well as abnormal proliferation in BM
Dysplastic cells don’t get into blood
What does MDS present with on a FBC
Pancytopenia
What % of MDS pts evolve into AML
20%
Myelofibrosis
Malignant proliferation of reticulin fibres in bone marrow
Features of myekofibrosis
Anaemia
Leucoerythroblastic blood film
Splenomegaly
What can myelofibrosis dveelpi from
MPN or be primary
MPN
Myelo proliferative neoplasms
What can myelofibrosis transform into
AML
Causes of low blood counts w/ normal bone marrow (reduced cell survival)
Immune cellular destruction
Drugs
Haemorrhage
Hypersplenism
When would you see Auer rods on a blood film
Acute (myeloid) leukaemia - blasts
Causes of hyposplenism
Splenectomy e.g. therapeutic or due to trauma
Auto-infarction e.g SCD
Infiltration e.g metazoic malignancy
Under-functioning e.g. coeliac disease
Hyposplenism on a blood film
Howell-Jolly brides
Target cells
Acanthocytes
Causes of neutrophilia
Bacterial infection ** Infl cords Burns Cigarette smoking Steroids (glucocorticosteroids) G- CSF Solid tumours Myeloproliofertiave disorders e.g. CML *
General causes of lymohocytosis
Viral infections e.g. EBV * Hypospleinsim TB Brucellosis CLL Lymph. w/ 'spillover'
General causes of eosinophilia
Allergic reaction - most common Vasculitis Drugs Worm infestations Cancer (esp solid tumours and lymphoma)
Most common causes of microcytic anaemia
IDA
ACD
Most common cause of microcytic anaemia
Vit B12 or folate déficiency - causes pancytopenia
What addn info can we get from a blood film
Morphology of rd cells, white cells and platelets
Morphology of any abnormal cells incl blasts
Blood borne infections e.g. malaria
Roleuax (stacking of RBCs), agglutinates, fibrin clots, platelet clumping
Rouleaux on blood film
Stacking of RBCs
When does rouelaux occur
In infection
Reaction condns
Myeloma
Lymphoma
Cancer of the lymph nodes
Classification of lymphoma
Hugh grade or low grade
B-cell or (less commonly) T cell
Hodgkin or Non-Hodgkin
What do lymphoma pts px with
(Painless) swellings - lymphadenopathy
+/- B symptoms
May be incidental finding on MRI
B symptoms seen in lymphoma
Night sweats
Fever
Unintentional wt loss >10% in 6/12
What may lymphoma pts present with
Hepatosplenomegaly
Symptoms related to cytopenias
Symtoms related to lumps in/compressing important structures e.g. kidneys, lungs, bowel
Pruritus
Hx of high grade vs low grade lymphoma
Short vs longer or ‘no’ hx
Growth of high grade vs low grade lymphoma
Quickly vs slowly
Which lymphoma pts are symptomatic
High grade
Difference in approach to treating high grade vs low grade lymphoma
Treatment always required immediately vs watch and wait
Which lymphoma in a lifelong illness
Low grade - not curable
Which lymphoma. treatment involves intensive chemo
High grade
How many curative opportunities are there in high grade vs low grade lymphoma
One change in high grade (or maybe two) Bute low grade can usually be treated again and again
Staging of lymphoma
Ann Arbor
Stage I (best) - IV (worst) Looks at LN and organ involvement
A: absence of B symptoms
B: B sx
How is lymphoma diagnosed
Bx of lump - core bx ro whole node excision
NOT fine needle aspirate (FNA)
Burkitt lyphoma
Very rapidly growing subtype of high-grade B-cell NHL
Genetic cause of Burkitt’s lymphoma
t(8; 14) - translocation of chromosome 8 to 14
What is endemic Burkitt’s lymphoma associated w/
EBV infection
Is Hodgkin lymphoma low-grade or high-grade
High
Epidemiology of Hodgkin lymphoma
Most common in young adults and 60+
M > F
What infection is associated w/ Hodgkin lymphoma
EBV
Px of Hodgkin lymphoma
Pruritus
Often present w/ mediastinal mass - SVC obstruction, bronchial compression (cough, SOB, stridor)
Alcohol-induced LN pain
Dx of Hodgkin lymphoma
Bx - scattered Reed Sternberg (owl eyes) cells and reactive cells
Treatment and prognosis of Hodgkin lymphoma
Different chemo to NHL
Prognosis particularly good
Imaging for lymphoma staging and response
PET scan
In which lymphoma is extra-nodal disease common
NHL
GI tract - gastric MALT lymphoma in c/c H. pylori infection, small bowel lymphoma
Skin- mycosis fungoides
Most common leukaemia
CLL
Usual findings of CLL
incidental lymphocytosis on FBC
If there is only lymphadenopathy and NO lymohocytosi, what should be suspected
Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), low grade NHL
Diagnosing CLL
FBC, blood film (leucocytosis and smear cells)
Examination findings
Immunophenotyping - monoclonal antibody w/ immunological marker for CD5 and CD19
When would you treat CLL immediately
Bulk disease e.g. lymphadenopathy
Disease obstructing major organ
Bone marrow failure
B sx
‘Watch and wait’ approach is usually used
Drug treatment for CLL
Monoclonal antibody + chemo e.g. rituxumab, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide
B-cell signalling inhibitors (tablets) e.g. ibrutinib
Epidemiology of CLL
Usually >70 yrs
Generally slowly progressive
Genetic cause of CML
t(9:22) - ‘philadelphia chromosome’
Codes for a anew protein, BCR-ABL, a tyrosine kinase
Why is CML always treated when diagnosed
Can progress to AML
CML px
Incidental - neutrophilia w/ granulocyte precursors
Sx related to anaemia and splenomegaly e.g. pain and early satiety
B sx
Dx of CML
FBC (neutrophilia and presence of myelocytes) and blood film
FISH to look for Philadelphia chromosome
Bone marrow bx to assess phase
FISH
Fluroscent in-situ hybridisation
Treatment of CML
Tyrosine kinase inhibitor e.g, imatinib
Daily tablets lifelong
Aim for low levels of BCR-ABL, use PCR
A/c leukaemia px
Consequences of cytopenias e.g. bleeding, anaemia, infections
Short hx - treatment required quickly
ALL pts sometimes have lympadenopathy or hepatosplenomegly at dx
Dx of a/c leukaemia
Blasts on blood film or BM (> 20%)
Dx confirmed w/ immunophenotyping (distinguishes AML from ALL)
Epidemiology of a/c leukaemia
ALL more common in children (little people)
AML more common in elderly (mature people)
APML
A/c promyelocytic leukaemia
Subtype of AML associated w/ DIC (medical emergency)
Treatment options for a/c leukaemia
Intensive chemo, may involve allogenic stem cell transplant (may be curative, v toxic)
Low intensity chemo (may prolong life but not curatiev, still toxic)
Palliative care - sx control at home
Aside from chemo , what else to a/c leukaemia pts need
Hickman line Prophylactic antimicrobials Transfusions (Red cells, platelts) Treatment of neutropenic sepsis Pian control Antiemetics Psychological support
Haemostasis
The arrest of bleeding
What does a hyperocagulable state lead to
Thrombosis
What does reduced coagulation lead to
Bleeding disorder
Phases of CML
C/c
Acceleration
Blast - crises
Rule of 1/3 in CLL
1/3 don’t progress
1/3 progress lowly
1/3 undergoes Richter’s transformation to become aggressive high-grade lymphoma.
Features of all types of leukaemia
BM failure causing pancytopenia
B sx
Generalised painless lymphadenopathy
Hepatosplenomagly
Sx of thrombocytopenia
Bleeding
Ecchymoses (bruises)
No-blanching petechiae (smaller)/ purpura (bigger)
Specific sx of AML
Infiltration –> gum hypertrophy, skin infiltration
DIC in APML
Specific sx of ALL
Children w/ FTT
CNS involvement
Painless unilateral testcular swelling
Renal enlargement
CNS involvement in ALL
Inc cranial nerve palsies and meninges due to mets to meninges –> neck stiffness and papilloedema
Papilloedema
Optic disc swelling
Stages of haemostasis
Tissue injury –> thrombus formation -> tissue repair –> dissolution of the thrombus
How does haemostasis work?
Vasoconstriction - limits blood flow to the injured region
Formation of platelet plug
Formation of fibrin mesh - to stabilise the thrombus
Clot dissolution - through the action of plasmin
Steps of formation of platelet (primary haemostatic) plug
Adhesion - platelets come into contact w/ damaged sub endothelium
Activation - vWF factor causes platelets to adhere to ECM collagen
Aggregation - platelet-platelet interaction via fibrinogen
Examople of primary haemostasis
Von Willebrand disease
Features of Von Willebrand disease
Usually pattern = mucosal haemorrhage
Bleeding at time of trauma/ surgery
Menorrhagia
Nose bleeds
What do the symptoms of Von Willebrand disease vary according to
Amount of vWF (most commonly mild form of disease)
Secondary haemostasis
Stabilisation of platelet plug
Fibrin acts like gun giving the platelet mass strength allowing to function as a secure patch and protect the base to allow repair and healing
Purpose of coagulation
To produce a stable haemostat plug via localised fibrin clot formation at the site of vessel injury
Mechanism of blood coagulation
Enzymatic cascade of series of coagulation proteins sequentially activated and a plied which results in a fibrin clot
Coagulation pathways
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Common
Factors in intrinsic coagulation pathway
XII —> XIIa
XI —> XIa
IX —> IXa
Factors in extrinsic coagulation pathway
VII
VII + TF —> VIIa: TF
Tissue factor released when vessels are injured
Factors in common coagulation pathway
X —> Xa: Va
II (prothrombin) —> IIa (thrombin)
III (fibrinogen) —-> fibrin (IIIa)
Congenital disorder of 2’ haemostasis
Low blood clotting factors - Haemophilia A or B
Haemophilia A vs B
A - lack of factor VIII
B - lack of factor IX
Usual pattern of haemophilia
Joints/ soft tissue bleeding
Bleeds into ‘target’ joints –> arthritis joint
Retroperitoneum
Bleeding at times of trauma/ surgery
What do the sx of haemophilia vary accord to
Amount of factor 8/9 - lower levels, worse the bleeding
Acquired disorder of 2’ haemostasis
Warfarin, liver disease (clotting factors produced in liver)
Much more common than congenital
What stops the coagulation process from forming thrombi throughout the circulation
Coagulation inhibitors
Fibrinolysis - breakdown of the fibrin clot by plasmin
Coagulation inhibitors in body
Antithrombin
Protein C
Protein S
How does fibrinolysis stop the coagulation process from forming thrombi throughout the circulation
Plasminogen —> palms
Fibrin breaks down into fibrin degradation products (FDPs) AKA D-dimers which stabilises 1’ haemostatic plug
Blood used in lab coagulation tests
Anticoagulated blood - coagulation proteins inactivated by anticoagulant (citrate) - blue bottle
Clotted blood - Coagulation proteins not present, no anticoagulant - yellow bottle
Coagulation testing
Measurement of time intakes to for a fibrin clot in plasma As the coagulation factors have been invited, an 'activator' is added to start the coagulation Different pathways (and coagulation factors) can be assessed by added different activators
Coagulation screen
Prothrombin time (PT) Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) Thrombin time (TT) - less commonly used
Prothrombin time
Tissue factor is added too ample of plasma along w/ Ca
Time until fibrin formation is measured by shining a light (initial solution is transparent)
What pathway does PT look at
Extrinsic and common
What factors does PT look at
VII
V, X, prothrombin, fibrinogen
Normal clotting time for PT
10-13s
When is PT abnormal
Liver disease
Warfarin
DIC
Activator in APTT
‘Contact activator’
Phospholipid and Ca
What pathway does APTT look at
Intrinsic and common
What clotting factors does APTT look at
VIII, IX, XI, XII
V, X, prothrombin, fibrinogen
Normal clotting in AOTT
24-38 s
When is APTT abnormal
Haemophilia A/B
DIC
Lupus anticoagulant
Activator in TT
Thrombin