Session 6: Haemopoeisis, Spleen and Bone Marrow Flashcards
What is haemopoesis?
- It is the process by which blood cells are formed.
- It involves specification of blood cell lineages and proliferation, to maintain an adequate number of cells in the circulation.
Compare haemopoiesis in adult vs children and infants
Infants and children: extensive throughout skeleton
Adult:
Limited in adult to 5 areas:
Pelvis, Sternum, Skull, Ribs and Vertebrae
How to sample bone marrow?
Trephine biopsy
5 major pathways for haemopoetic stem cells
Common lymphoid –>
lymphocyte (lymphopoesis)
Common myeloid progenitor –>
platelets (thrombopoesis)
Erythrocytes (erythropoesis)
Monocyte/macrophage (monocytopoesis)
Basophil, Neutrophil, Eosinophil (granulopoesis)
What is differentiation into different blood cell linages determined by?
Hormones
Transcription factors
Interactions with other non-haemopoetic cell types, like endothelial cells
Name the hormones involved in haemopoesis.
Where are they produced and what do they do?
Erythropoetin (from kidney, stimulates RBC production)
Thrombopoetin (from kidneys and liver, regulates platelet production)
Haemopoetic stem cells (3)
Capable of self renewal (more than any other adult tissue)
Can differentiate into variety of specialised cells, given appropriate stimuli
In Pathological conditions, (myelofibrosis/thalasaemia) they can mobilize into circulating blood to colonise other tissues. (like the spleen and liver). This is called extramedullary hamatopoeiesis
What is it called when blood cells are produced in other tissues?
Extramedullary haemopoesis
Sources of haemopoetic stem cells (for transplant)
Bone marrow aspiration (rare)
Umbillical cord blood stem cells (cord bank)
Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) mobilises peripheral blood stem cells and they are collected via leucopharesis
What is the RES (reticuloendothelial system)
- Part of the Immune system made up of monocytes in blood and a network of tissues which contain phagocytic cells
- Main organs are liver and spleen
- Spleen RES cells dispose of RBC (if damaged/old)
Different macrophages and location
Kupffer cell (liver)
Tissue histiocyte (connective tissue)
Microglia (CNS)
Peritoneal macrophage (peritoneal cavity)
Red pulp macrophage (spleen)
Langherhans cell (skin and mucosa)
Spleen pulps
Red pulp: sinuses lined by endothelial macrophages
White pulp: similar structure to lymphoid follicles
Function of spleen
Sequestration and phagocytosis (old/abnormal RBC removed by macrophages)
Blood pooling (allows a rapid supply of red blood cells and platelets during bleeding)
Extramedullary haemopoesis (if marrow fails or under stress, e.g. in myelofibrosis)
Immunological function (25% of T cells and 15% of B cells are present in the spleen)
How does blood enter spleen?
Via splenic artery
- White cells and plasma pass through white pulp
- Red cells through red pulp
(preferentially)
Why does splenomegaly occur?
- Portal hypertension (liver disease)
(patients which have liver disease, its very difficult for blood to flow round liver. There is a connection in the portal system between liver and spleen, so the blood can’t come out of the spleen as easily, so spleen becomes engorged with blood as there is this back pressure due to portal hypertension)
- Over work (red/white pulp)
(e. g. patients with sickle cell disease) - Extramedullary haemopoesis causes spleen to be full of developing blood cells
- Infiltrated by cells (like cancer cells or other cancer metastases)
- Iinfiltrated by other material such as in sarcoidosis, granulomas are present in the spleen, which enlarges it
How to examine spleen?
- It is never normal for the spleen to be palpable below the costal margin
- Start to palpate in Right Iliac Fossa (RIF) and move up or may miss massive splenomegaly
- Put your hand in, ask the patient to brethe in and feel for spleen edge moving towards your hand
- Feel for the splenic notch
- Record how big it is by measuring in cm from costal margin in mid- clavicular line
Massive splenomegaly causes
Chronic myeloid leukaemia
Myelofibrosis
Malaria
Schistosomiasis
Moderate splenomegaly
- Lymphoma
- Leukaemias
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- Liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension
- Infections (eg Glandular fever)
Could also be due to all the causes of massive splenomegaly, but just in an earlier stage)
- Chronic myeloid leukaemia
- Myelofibrosis
- Malaria
- Schistosomiasis
Mild splenomegaly
- Infectious hepatitis
- Endocarditis
- Sarcoidosis/infiltrative disorders
- Autoimmune diseases
Could also be due to all the causes of massive and moderate splenomegaly, but just in an earlier stage)
- Chronic myeloid leukaemia
- Myelofibrosis
- Malaria
- Schistosomiasis
- Lymphoma
- Leukaemias
- Myeloproliferative disorders
- Liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension
- Infections (eg Glandular fever)
What can occur in blood counts for hypersplenism?
Low blood counts due to pooling of blood in enlarged spleen
Risk with splenomegaly
Risk of rupture (no longer protected by rib cage)
Avoid contact sports and rigourous activity
What is hyposplenism?
Lack of functioning splenic tissue
Causes of hyposplenism
Splenectomy (may be required due to splenic rupture from trauma or beasue of cancer)
Sickle cell disease (in older children and adults due to multiple infarcts/fibrosis)
GI disease (coeliac, crohns, ulcerative collitis)
Autoimmune disorders (systemic lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis , Hashimoto’s disease)
Blood sign of hyposplenism
Howell Jolly bodies (contain DNA remnants, would usually be removed by functioning spleen)
What are patients with hyposplenism at risk of?
At risk of sepsis from encapsulated bacteria:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Meningococcus
- Haemophilus influenzae
Prevention for encapsulated bacteria infection (for patients with hyposplenism)
Patients must be:
- Immunised
- Given life-long antibiotics prophylaxis
What does MCV show?
Mean size of RBC
RBC structure
No nucleus
No mitochondria
120 day lifespan
Biconcave, flexible disc
Function RBC
- Deliver O2 to tissues
- Carry haemoglobin
- Maintain haemoglobin in reduced (ferrous) state
- Maintain Osmotic equilibrium
- Generate energy