Lecture 5 Flashcards
What is haemopoiesis?
Production of blood cells in bone marrow
Where does haemopoiesis take place in the infant ad adult?
Infant throughout skeleton
Adult in pelvis, ribs, vertebrae, skull, sternum
Where are bone marrow biopsies and blood samples commonly taken from?
Right side posterior iliac crest of pelvis
Haemopoiesis?
Multipotent stem cell goes to common lymphoid progenitor and common myeloid progenitor.
Common lymphoid progenitor becomes T lymphocyte and B lymphocyte
Common myeloid progenitor goes to megakaryocyte, erythrocyte, and myeloblast.
Myeloblast forms the granulocytes which are neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages and eosinophils
What determines what cells stem cells will differentiate into?
Exposure to given chemicals such as erythropoietin
Haemopoietic stem cell?
Greatest power of self renewal compared to any other cell of body
Can differentiate into a variety of specialised cells
Can mobilise out of bone marrow and into blood
Can undergo apoptosis if required
What is a HPSC transplantation?
Haemopoietic stem cell transplant more commonly known as a bone marrow transplant
Where can we get haemopoietic stem cells from?
Bone marrow aspiration- done under anaesthetic and rarely performed
GCSF given to patient to mobilise stem cells into peripheral blood. Stem cells removed and blood returned to patient. Cells frozen to be transplanted back later.
Umbilical cord- provide stem cells at time of normal birth delivery
What is leucopharesis?
When white blood cells are separated from a blood sample
What is the reticuloendothelial system?
Part of the immune system that is made up of a network of tissues that contain phagocytise cells eg microglial in CNS and kupffer cells in the liver.
Main organs are the spleen and liver. Lymph nodes also important
What does the spleen consist of?
White pulp- WBCs
Red pulp- red cells
What main artery supplies the spleen?
Splenic artery and vein
Functions of spleen in adults?
Sequestration and phagocytosis- abnormal or old red cells removed by macrophages
Blood pooling- stores RBCs and platelets if required
Immune function- T cells and B cells
Haemopoietic- if marrow fails or under haematological stress. Results in splenomegaly.
How do you you determine splenomegaly?
Start to palpate in the right iliac fossa. It is never normal to feel the spleen below the costal margin.
With splenomegaly you would feel the spleen edge move towards your hand on inspiration
What is the costal margin?
Lower edge of chest formed by bottom of the rib cage
What causes splenomegaly?
Haemopoiesis
Immune response
Portal hypertension in liver disease
Expanding as cells entering eg cancers
What is sarcoidosis?
Abnormal collections of inflammatory cells forming lumps called granulomas
What is hypersplenism?
And overactive spleen which removes red blood cells too quickly. Blood can also pool in the spleen which enlarges it.
What is the danger of an enlarged spleen?
No longer protected by the rib cage and so can rupture easily
What are two complications associated with splenomegaly?
Haematoma- spleen ruptures and bleeds into its surrounding capsule so bleeding is not noticed. Patient becomes hypovolaemic and dies.
Infarction- enlarged spleen compresses blood vessels that supply it