HEMATOLOGIC SYSTEM

BY
DR MOHAMMED O.H
 ABO GROUPING
• The ABO system divides individuals into 4 groups
based on presence of surface antigen on RBCs
 A-group
 B-group
 AB-group
 O-group
• About 55% of the population has either A-type
antigens (blood group A), B-type antigens (blood
group B) or both (blood group AB) on their red
cell surface. The remaining 45% have neither A
nor B type antigens (blood group O).
 CON’T
• Universal Recipients: Group AB are referred to
as thus because they make no Anti-A or Anti-B
antibodies. They can receive blood transfusion
from all groups.
• Universal Donor : Group O people have
neither A nor B antigens on their red cell
membranes, and their blood may be safely
transfused into A, B, AB or O types
 RHESUS GROUPING
• RBCs membrane contains another very
important antigen on their surface called the
Rhesus(Rh) Antigen, or Rhesus factor
• 85% of world population are Rh+, and do not
therefore make anti-Rhesus antibodies.
• The remaining 15% have no Rhesus antigen
(they are Rhesus negative, or Rh-). Rh-
individuals are capable of making anti-Rhesus
antibodies, but are stimulated to do so only in
certain circumstances, e.g. in pregnancy and
incompatible blood transfusion
 WHITE BLOOD CELLS
• Leukocytes have an important function in
defending the body against microbes and
other foreign materials.
• Leukocytes are the largest blood cells and they
account for about 1% of the blood volume.
• There are two main types of WBCs
 Granulocytes (polymorphonuclear leukocytes)
neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils
 Agranulocytes : monocytes and lymphocytes.
 NEUTROPHILS
• They protect against any foreign material that
gains entry to the body mainly microbes, and to
remove waste materials, e.g. cell debris.
• They are attracted in large numbers to any area
of infection by chemical substances, released
by damaged cells, called chemotaxins.
• They move via amoeboid movement and kill
microbes by phagocytosis
• Their granules are lysosomes that contain
enzymes that digest the engulfed material.
 EOSINOPHILS
• Eosinophils are often found at sites of allergic
inflammation, such as the asthmatic airway
and skin allergies
• They promote tissue inflammation by
releasing their array of toxic chemicals.
• They also have a specialised role in the
elimination of parasites, such as worms, which
are too big to be phagocytosed
 BASOPHILS
• They are closely associated with allergic
reactions.
• They contain cytoplasmic granules packed
with heparin (an anticoagulant), histamine (an
inflammatory agent) and other substances
that promote inflammation.
• Tissue basophils are called Mast cells.
 MONOCYTES
• These are large mononuclear cells that
originate in red bone marrow.
• Some circulate in the blood and are actively
motile and phagocytic while others migrate
into the tissues where they develop into
macrophages.
• Tissue mcrophages have different names
(histiocytes in connective tissues,microglia in
the brain, Kupffer cells in the liver, alveolar
macrophages in the lungs, osteoclasts in bone.
 LYMPHOCYTES
• They circulate in the blood and are present in
great numbers in lymphatic tissue such as
lymph nodes and the spleen.
• Lymphocytes develop from pluripotent stem
cells in red bone marrow, then travel in the
blood to lymphoid tissue elsewhere in the body
where they are activated(immunocompetent)
• Lymphocyte sensitive cells includes virus, cancer
cells, tissue transplant cells etc.
• Two distinct type of lymphocyte exist: T-cells
and B-cells
 THROMBOCYTES
• These are non-nucleated cells derived from
the cytoplasm of megakaryocytes in red bone
marrow
• They contain a variety of substances that
promote blood clotting, which causes
haemostasis
• Thrombopoietin is the hormone regulating
platelets production
 HEAMOSTASIS
• This is the natural method of controlling blood
loss from a severed blood vessel
• Processess includes
 Vasoconstriction
 Platelets plug formation
 Coagulation
 Fibrinolysis
 VASOCONSTRICTION
• Migrating platelets adhere to the surface of
damaged blood vessel
• The platelets then produces serotonin which
causes vasoconstriction
• The damaged endothelium also produces
thromboxanes which are also vasoconstrictors
•
 PLATELET PLUG FORMATION
• The adherent platelets send signals to other
circulating platelets via adenosine diphosphate
(ADP)
• Passing platelets stick to those already at the
damaged vessel and they too release their
chemicals.
• This is a positive feedback system by which
many platelets rapidly arrive at the site of
vascular damage and quickly form a
temporary seal — the platelet plug.
 COAGULATION
• This is the formation of an insoluble thread-
like mesh called fibrin
• This fibrin traps RBCs and its more stronger
than the temporal platelet plug
• PROTHROMBIN is activated to form
THROMBIN by prothrombin activator which is
formed either via the intrinsic or extrinsic
pathway
• Thrombin then activate FIBRINOGEN to form
FIBRIN
 FIBRINOLYSIS
• This occurs after formation of blood clot, it
involves the removal of formed blood clot,
healing of damaged blood vessels
endothelium
• Plasmin initiates the breakdown of fibrin to
soluble products that are treated as waste
material and removed by phagocytosis.
• Plasmin is derived from an inactive precussor
called Plasminogen located in the blood serum