Yearly Archives: 2013


Bone Marrow is the Site of Blood Formation

Function of Bone Marrow is: The bone marrow is one of the largest organs in the human body, and it is the principal site for blood cell formation. In the normal adult, daily marrow production amounts to approximately 2.5 billion red cells, 2.5 billion platelets, and 1 billion granulocytes per […]


What is red cell?

What is red cell parameter  It’s very important to know what is red cell.  Most automated blood cell counters measure the number of red cells, the mean red cell volume (MCV), and hemoglobin concentration. The other red cell parameters, including the hematocrit, mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) are […]


What is bone marrow

 What is bone marrow  The bone marrow, located in the medullary cavity of bone, What is bone marrow ? it is the sole site of effective hematopoiesis in humans. The marrow produces approximately six billion cells per kilogram of  body weight per day. What is bone marrow types Hematopoietically active (red) marrow […]


Acute myelogenous leukemia

Definition of Acute myelogenous leukemia Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the result of a sequence of somatic mutations in a  multipotential primitive hematopoietic cell or, in some cases, a more differentiated  progenitor cell.  Acute myelogenous leukemia  is characterized by (1) accumulation of abnormal (leukemic) blast cells, principally in the  marrow, and (2) […]


Abnormal Bone Marrow Examination

Abnormal Bone Marrow Examination Results Abnormal Bone marrow biopsy is characterized by disruption of the marrow architecture with groups of cytologically abnormal cells. Assessment of the tissue of origin is primarily based on morphology, clinical history, and immunocytochemical staining. The tendency of carcinoma cells to form tightly adherent clusters frequently […]


Bone Marrow exam

Importance of microscopic  marrow exam Marrow exam  is a mainstay of hematologic diagnosis. Even  with the advent of specialized biochemical and molecular assays that capitalize on advances in our understanding of the cell biology of hematopoiesis, the primary diagnosis of hematologic malignancies and many nonneoplastic hematologic disorders relies upon examination of […]


Counting of Platelets

Platelets count   Platelets are usually counted electronically by enumerating particles in the unlysed sample within a specified volume window, where volume may be measured by electrical  impedance or light scatter. Platelets counting  difficulties The platelet count was more difficult to automate than the red cell  count because of the […]


Examination of white blood cells

White blood cells count  White blood cells  counts are performed by automated cell counters on blood samples appropriately  diluted with a solution that lyses the erythrocytes(e.g., an acid or a detergent), but preserves  white blood cells integrity. Manual counting of white blood cells is used only when the instrument reports […]


Examination of Blood Count

Importance of Blood Count Examination Examination of the blood counts and their appearance on a blood film is central to the diagnosis of blood cell diseases and can give important information about numerous other degenerative, inflammatory, and neoplastic diseases that are reflected in quantitative or qualitative changes of blood cells. […]


Post Transplant Complications

Time of Post Transplant Complications The first 100 days following the cell infusion is typically the time of greatest risk for post transplant complications of autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant. Care by physicians skilled in the management of patients undergoing these procedures is of critical importance. Progress in the supportive care […]


Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Definition of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is a malignant disorder that originates in a single B or T-lymphocyte progenitor. Proliferation and accumulation of blast cells in the marrow result in suppression of hematopoiesis and, thereafter, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia. Lymphoblasts can accumulate in various extramedullary sites, especially […]


General Consideration of Lymphoma

What is Lymphoma? The lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of malignancies that originate in a single lymphocyte that has undergone transforming mutations that confer on it a growth and survival advantage in comparison to its normal cellular counterparts. The neoplasm usually originates in a lymph node, or lymphatic tissue in […]


Management of Newly Diagnosed Myeloma

Assessment of Newly diagnosed Myeloma Every newly diagnosed myeloma patient should be assessed for fitness to undergo auto-stem cell transplantation. Although some centers use an age cutoff (usually 60–65 years), it is reasonable to take performance status, organ function, and comorbidities into account, rather than age, when deciding whether a […]


Multiple Myeloma Symptoms

Incidence of Multiple Myeloma Myeloma accounts for approximately 1 percent of all malignancies and 10 percent of hematologic tumors, representing the second most frequently occurring hematologic malignancy in the United States. At any one time, 50,000 people suffer from multiple myeloma symptoms, and approximately 15,000 cases are diagnosed each year. […]


Multiple Myeloma and Stem Cell Transplant

Definition of Multiple Myeloma Multiple Myelomais a malignancy of terminally differentiated B cells (plasma cells) that produces a complete and/or partial (light chain) monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. Multiple Myeloma cells induce, in the context of the extracellular matrix, critical alterations in the marrow microenvironment, which, in turn, evoke cell-survival signals, contributing […]


Autologous Versus Allogeneic Marrow Transplant

How to chose between Autologous and Allogeneic Marrow Transplant? The choice of performing autologous versus allogeneic transplant in patients with hematolymphoid malignancies depends, in part, on the disease being treated, its response to conventional-dose chemotherapy, and the availability of a histocompatible donor. When to chose Autologous Transplant? In general terms, autologous […]


Histocompatible Marrow Donor

Why to care about Histocompatible Marrow Donor? Over the years the increased precision in HLA typing has resulted in clinically notable improvements in outcome as accurate matching at the histocompatibility complex is considered essential to minimize graft versus- host disease and graft failure. Comparing studies that evaluated the impact of […]


Selection of Candidates for Marrow Transplantation

How to chose the best patient for Marrow Transplantation? Patient-related factors that affect Marrow Transplantation Most marrow transplantation candidates are referred by hematologists or oncologists to the tertiary center where the marrow transplantation procedure will be performed. Patients considered for Marrow Transplantation require in-depth counseling by experienced transplantation physicians, nurses, […]


Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation

The Decision of Using autologous stem cell transplantation The relationship between the dose of chemotherapy and/or radiation and the number of tumor cells killed has been extensively studied in vitro and in preclinical animal models, and forms the basis for the decision to pursue autologous stem cell transplantation. For chemosensitive tumors […]


Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The Rule of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Marrow Transplantation The founding principles of hematopoietic cell transplantation are that infused hematopoietic stem cells home and engraft in the marrow microenvironment and expand and proliferate to reconstitute all of the blood lineages. Yet it may be that another cellular component of the marrow microenvironment, […]


Umbilical Cord Blood

Umbilical Cord Blood a source of hematopoietic stem cells Umbilical cord blood (UCB) collected from the umbilical vessels in the placenta at the time of delivery is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells. Because these cells are immunologically relatively naive, recipients may have satisfactory outcomes, even when crossing major […]


Trafficking and Homing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Migration of Stem Cells The ability of hematopoietic stem cells to circulate and migrate from marrow to blood and back is an aspect of the hematopoietic system that has been conserved through evolution. Although the biologic role and physiologic significance of this constitutive hematopoietic stem cells circulation remains unclear, it is […]


Stem Cell Model Of Hematopoiesis

Stem Cells Self-Renewal At the single-cell level, stem cells self-renew into more stem cells and give rise to progeny that differentiate into functional cells carrying out specific functions. Progenitor cells can be multipotent, oligopotent, or unipotent yet lack self-renewal capabilities. Hematopoietic stem cells are cells that give rise to more […]


Haploidentical Bone Marrow Donor

Why to chose the Haploidentical Bone Marrow Donor? The almost always present yet overlooked donor is the haplotype matched sibling, parent, or offspring. Haploidentical Bone Marrow Donor hematopoietic cell transplantation has been evaluated for more than two decades as an alternative option for the approximately 70 percent of patients who […]