Introduction to Haematology Flashcards
When you centrifuge blood what three layers does it produce?
Plasma
Buffy coat
Red blood cells
What can be found in the plasma layer of centrifuged blood?
Clotting or coagulation factors
Albumin
Antibodies
What is found in the buffy coat?
Platelets
White cells
What are some features of stem cells?
Totipotent (can differentiate into all cells of the blood)
Self-renewing
Regulated by hormones
Where is bone marrow mostly found?
Bones (esp. axial in elderly)
What is the appearance of bone marrow?
Stroma + sinusoids
Fat cells
What hormone regulates erythropoiesis? What organ produces it?
EPO (erythropoietin) made in kidney in response to hypoxia
What is a normal reticulocyte count?
Usually about 1%
Can rise to 10% if you are bleeding
What is reticulocyte count essentially a measure of?
Red cell production (as they are the early RBCs)
Do reticulocytes have a nucleus?
Like RBCs they do not
What is polycythaemia?
Too many red cells
What red cells do you see in renal failure?
May have burr cells (cells that look like sea urchins)
What regulates platelet production? Where is it made?
Thrombopoitein
Liver
What is the lifespan of a platelet?
7 days
What things may cause thrombocytosis?
Reactive thrombocytosis (to cancer, infection, bleeding etc.) Myeloid malignancies
What may cause thrombocytopenia?
Marrow failure
Immune destruction
Which drugs can alter the function of platelets?
Aspirin
Clopidogrel
Abciximab
What is the function of neutrophils?
Ingest + destroy pathogens
Esp. bacteria + fungi
What is the lifespan of neutrophils?
1-2 days
How long does it take a neutrophil to respond to infection?
Few hours
What interleukin is predominantly produced by macrophages?
IL-17
What may cause neutrophilia?
Infection, inflammation (e.g. post MI, post-op, RA)