Pathology

• Welcome to Pathology – Blood disorders!
• Please tap in with your campus card and take a seat.
• Copyright University of Reading
• Presented by Dr Natasha Barrett
• Lecture capture – new!
• Many lecture theatres are now set up to record the slides and audio of lectures as they are delivered.
• Any conversations near the microphone will be captured if recording is active.
• Not all staff will be recording lectures.
• Recordings (where available) will not be available immediately.
• Blood

  Anatomy and Physiology (function)
• Red blood cells

  Supplies oxygen to tissue and cells, and helps remove carbon dioxide
• White blood cells


  Helps fight infection
• Platelets and plasma

  Prevents vascular leaking
• Histology of RBCs

  Blood smear stained with Romanowsky stain
• Methylene blue


  Stains nuclei purple
• Eosin


  Counterstain that stains cytoplasmic proteins pink
• RBCs

  Full of haemoglobin, no nucleus, no mitochondria, biconcave discs, 7-12µm, ~90fL
• Pathophysiology

  When the physiology goes wrong resulting in disease or disorders
• Transport of oxygen (bound to haemoglobin) and carbon dioxide around the body is the function of RBCs.
• Anaemia is defined as reduced haemoglobin concentration in the blood.
• Anaemia reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.
• Anaemia is a common condition, affecting 10% of women and 2-5% of men.
• Common causes of Anaemia

  • Acute bleeding
  • Chronic bleeding
  • Iron deficiency
  • Folate / Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Premature destruction of RBCs
• Signs and Symptoms of Anaemia

  Shortness of breath<|>Tachycardia<|>Pallor<|>Fatigue
• Diagnosis of Anaemia

  Acute bleeding – low RBC count, normal size / colour<|>Chronic bleeding – depends on resulting deficiency<|>Iron deficiency – normal count, small pale RBCs<|>Folate / B12 deficiency – normal/low count, large RBCs<|>Haemolysis – low count, normal size / colour
• FBC

  Anaemia Y/N, Hb concentration <120g/L, Cause / class, RBC count, Size of RBCs, Colour of RBCs
• Treatment of Anaemia

  • Stop / address any bleeding
  • Iron rich foods
  • Iron supplements
  • Iron injections
  • Folate / B12 rich foods
  • B12 injections
  • Blood transfusion
• Prognosis depends on the cause.
• WBCs - Leukaemia

  • Histology
  • Pathophysiology
  • Causes
  • Signs and symptoms
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
• Histology of WBCs

  • Lymphocyte
  • Basophil
  • Neutrophil
  • Monocyte
  • Eosinophil
• Functions of WBCs

  Role in (elevated with): Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, Basophils
• Neutrophils migrate out of blood into tissues where needed.
• Neutrophils are elevated in bacterial infection, stress, exercise.
• Lymphocytes sit in lymph nodes to screen lymph.
• Lymphocytes are elevated in viral infection.
• Monocytes clear cell debris.
• Monocytes are elevated in infection, inflammation, tissue damage.
• Eosinophils have a role in allergy and intestinal parasites.
• Basophils have a role in allergy.
• Leukaemia

  Cancer of the WBCs, uncontrolled growth of one WBC type in the bone marrow