Hematopoietic and Lymphoid 2 Flashcards
What is polycythemia (erythrocytosis)? What are normal and abnormal hematocrit and Hb levels?
It is abnormally high red cell count.
Normal HCT in males is 42-52% and in females in 37-47%.
Polycythemia is when HCT is above 52% in males and above 47% in females.
Normal Hb levels are 13.2-16.7 g/dL in males and 11.9-15.0 in females.
Polycythemia is when Hb is above 18.5 in males and above 16.5 in females.
What is the difference between relative polycythemia and absolute polycythemia?
Relative is when there is decreased plasma volume (from dehydration or diarrhea, for example) with normal red cell mass, so red cell density is increased.
Absolute in an increase in the total red cell mass.
What is the difference between primary and secondary absolute polycythemia?
Primary is when EPO is normal or low, secondary is when EPO levels are high.
What disease is associated with autonomous, erythropoietin-independent growth of red cell progenitors?
Polycythemia vera, a myeloproliferative disorder (a type of primary absolute polycythemia)
How does primary familial polycythemia cause polycythemia?
Rare EPO receptor mutation –> receptor activation without binding EPO
Name three conditions that can induce secondary polycythemia.
- Lung disease
- High-altitude living
- Cyanotic heart disease
All cause a compensatory increase in EPO
Renal cell carcinomas, hepatocellular carcinomas, and cerebral hemangioblastomas are three examples of cancers that can cause paraneoplastic syndrome, secreting _______.
EPO –> secondary polycythemia
Name three genetic mutations that cause secondary polycythemia.
- Hb mutations that cause high Hb O2 affinity.
Inherited defects that increase the stability of HIF-1alpha, leading to increased EPO. These include: - Chuvash polycythemia (homozygous VHL mutations)
- Prolyl hydroxylase mutations
What are three clinical manifestations of polycythemia?
- Viscous blood
- Cardiac function and peripheral blood flow impairment
- Skin and mucosae appear dark red
What white cell count qualifies as leukopenia?
less than 4300 per uL
What neutrophil count qualifies as neutropenia/agranulocytosis?
less than 1600 per uL
When absolute neutrophil count drops below 1000 per uL, risk for _______ infections is high, and an absolute count below ______ per uL puts the person at serious risk for infection.
microbial infections below 1000
500 = serious risk
Can neutropenia/agranulocytosis be caused by decreased or ineffective neutrophil production from radiation, drugs, viral infections, congenital stuff, megaloblastic anemia, or myelodysplastic syndrome?
Yeah
Contrast the causes for neutropenia with bone marrow hypocellularity vs neutropenia with bone marrow hypercellularity.
Hypocellularity in the marrow would be caused by drugs that suppress granulocytopoiesis, whereas hypercellular marrow would occur when there is increased neutrophil degradation and the body is trying to compensate. Hypercellular also occurs when there is ineffective granulocytopoiesis.
Describe the clinical manifestations of neutropenia (6).
- Malaise
- Fever
- Marked weakness
- Fatigue
- Ulcerating, necrotizing lesions on mucous membranes
- Infections with microorganism growth.
Easy: feel like shit overall, ulcers on mucous membranes with microorganisms
How is someone with infections and neutropenia treated?
With granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
What is leukocytosis?
Non-neoplastic increase in blood WBCs
What four things does the severity of leukocytosis depend on?
- Size of myeloid and lymphoid precursor pools in marrow, thymus, circulation, and tissues.
- Rate of release from pools.
- The marginal pool of cells adhering to vessel walls.
- Rate of extravasation of cells from blood into the tissues.
Four histologic subtypes of leukocytosis are neutrophilic, eosinophilic, monocytic and lymphocytic. Name what causes each.
Neutrophilic: acute bacterial infections.
Eosinophilic: allergic disorders, parasitic infections.
Monocytic: chronic infections, bacterial endocarditis.
Lymphocytic: chronic immune stimulation as seen in TB, EBV, CMV, infectious mono.
Name three histologic characteristics of neutrophils from a peripheral blood smear that would be indicative of leukocytosis.
- Purple cytoplasmic granules (toxic granulations).
- Blue cytoplasmic patches of dilated ER.
- Nuclei looks like an elongated blob - indicates immaturity of neutrophil and increased rate of release.
What is lymphadenitis?
Non-neoplastic inflammatory proliferation of the lymph nodes.
What gross morphological changes are seen in the case of lymphadenitis? What microscopic changes are seen?
Nodes are swollen, gray-red, and engorged.
Microscopic: large germinal centers with lots of mitotic figures (nonspecific)
What cell type can be found in lymph nodes in the case of infection by pyogenic organisms?
Neutrophils
In what type of lymphadenitis would you find abcesses in the center of follicles of lymph nodes?
Acute nonspecific lymphadenitis
Compare follicular hyperplasia and paracortical hyperplasia. What type of lymphadenitis are these an example of?
These are types of chronic nonspecific lymphadenitis.
Follicular hyperplasia is associated with B cell activation –> germinal center (follicular) reaction
Paracortical hyperplasia is associated with T cell activation
Name three stimuli that can cause follicular hyperplasia and three stimuli that can cause paracortical hyperplasia.
Follicular (B cell expansion): RA, toxoplasmosis, early HIV
Paracortical (T cells): Viral infections like EBV, some vaccinations (small pox), certain drugs (phenytoin, dilantin for seizures)
What is the difference between a lymphoma and leukemia?
The site of the tumor. Leukemias primarily involve the bone marrow with spillage of neoplastic cells into the blood. Lymphomas are tumors in the lymph nodes, spleen, or extranodal tissues.
Name the four types of lymphoid neoplasms.
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Lymphocytic leukemia
- Plasma cell dyscrasias
What is a myeloid neoplasm? Name three examples.
Neoplasms arising from stem cells that give rise to blood cells (granulocytes, red cells, or platelets). Monoclonal proliferation crowds out other cells.
Examples
- Acute myeloblastic leukemia
- Chronic myeloproliferative disorders.
- Myelodisplastic syndromes
What is acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)?
Clonal proliferation of immature myeloid cells (pre-RBCs or pre-granulocytes like neutrophils) that don’t terminally differentiate (they are stuck as immature cells). The proliferation happens in bone marrow and they end up in blood and tissues
What is the most common leukemia type in adults (80%)? What is the median age of onset for this disease?
AML, median onset age is 60
Which disease is associated with a mutation in inhibitory transcription factor, leading to excess proliferation of immature myeloid cells?
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
Describe the symptoms, prognosis, and common treatment associated with AML.
Symptoms: fatigue, pallor, fever, infections, abnormal bleeding.
Prognosis: chemo –> remission in 50% but 5-year survival is only 30%.
Tx: marrow transplant
Name the disease: occurs due to t(15;17) translocation. Leads to the formation of an abnormal PML/RARA fusion protein that blocks myeloid differentiation at the promyelocytic stage
Acute promyelocytic leukemia (a type of acute myelogenous leukemia)
What is acute promyelocytic leukemia associated with (4)?
- Radiation
- Chemo
- Benzene exposure
- Smoking doubles risk