Plasma - Notes

non-neoplastic disorders n. disorders not involving the abnormal growth of tissue

anaemia n. condition where there is a deficiency of red blood cells/haemoglobin
coagulation disorders n. issues with the clotting of blood
haemolytic adj. relating to lysis of RBC following transfusion
non-haemolytic adj. relating to a transfusion reaction where RBC survive
Blood is classified as loose connective tissue
Core of the body is highest priority for blood during low temperatures
Plasma is whole blood BUT serum is what remains following a clotting reaction (liquid
portion of blood after clotting factors have been removed)
buffy coat n. white blood cells and platelets
o Platelets are involved in the initiation of the clotting of blood
Albumins maintain osmotic pressure in the blood
o When blood is pumped around the body, the fluid portion gets squeezed out
of capillaries
o As blood moves through capillaries, it becomes more concentrated with
respect to albumins
o This process takes water out of tissues back into the blood
fibrin n. causes blood to clot following an activation cascade; precursor is fibrinogen
Monocytes typically have kidney shaped nuclei
Lymphocytes generally have little cytoplasm and dense nuclei
Neutrophils have multiple nuclei
haemocytometer n. device used to count blood cells
o Surface scribed with grid pattern
o Cover slip placed on top of cross section
o Cell suspension placed underneath above apparatus
Coulter principle n. method of sizing and counting particles; based on measurable
changes in resistance of a circuit
o Glass tube inserted into sample
o Electrodes present; apparatus electrically isolated bar aperture in glass tube
 o Cell enters aperture, which changes resistance across that area
o Small cell results in dip in current flowing through electrodes; size of
reduction proportional to size of cell
Blood parameters:
o Allow for measurement of proportion of different forms of lipids AND the
total amount and different forms of cholesterol; information regarding
cardiovascular risk
o Can allow for detection of liver damage; damaged liver cells release enzymes
o Can detect damage to the heart; proteins found only in cardiac muscle are
released
Red blood cells dont utilise energy or replicate
At certain concentrations, glucose forms adducts (n. complex that forms when a
chemical binds to a biological molecule) with proteins (e.g. haemoglobin)
Haemoglobin can be broken down into amino acids, iron & bilirubin (n. only non-
recyclable part of haemoglobin; gives bile its green colour)
Anaemia leads to less effective transport of oxygen
Polycythaemia leads to an increase in blood viscosity
Sickle cell anaemia relates to a single amino acid change in the haemoglobin sequence,
which changes the way it behaves, making it stack in long columns
o This causes banana-shaped RBC which are prone to lysis
Antigens involved in ABO system are called A & B
o A & B are sequences of sugars on proteins on RBC
o People make antibodies against the blood group they do not have
Rhesus system:
o D-antigen present in people with Rh+ blood; antibodies can only be made
against this is if one is Rh- and is exposed to Rh+
o Above process does not normally occur except during pregnancy
Previous exposure to the wrong blood type can lead to delayed reaction following
transfusion with the same blood type
If recipient has antibodies to antigens on white cells (e.g. T-cells, B-cells); white cells can
be activated by these antibodies
Antibodies to platelets can be made by the body, leading to post-transfusion purpura
(n. purple spots under the skin; capillary leakage)
Lymphocytes from two people, mixed together, will lead to cells killing each other off
due to activation of T-cells

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 o Graft rejection process occurring; if whole blood from one individual is fused
with that of another individual. T-cells get activated and may recognise
recipient as foreign, so graft attacks host
Fixed as white cells are removed prior to transfusion
haemostasis n. keep blood at a constant level
o Larger blood vessels have a lot of smooth muscle, which can spasm and close
off blood flow
o vWF involved in starting platelet adhesion process; effective clotting is a
result of decent platelet levels and coagulation
Platelets should be attracted to endothelium; adhere to exposed
collagen when a damaged blood vessel is present
Will lead to clot formation
o Result of blood coagulation is to turn soluble fibrinogen into insoluble fibrin;
fibrin forms spider-web and holds cells and platelets together, causing a
clot
Intrinsic pathway relates to blood vessel injury
Extrinisic pathway relates to tissue injury
Warfarin is an anticoagulant (blood thinner)
Heparin stops blood from clotting; acts on activated components of
the clotting cascade
o coagulopathy n. condition in which the bloods ability to coagulate is
impaired
o Clot will then contract to squeeze out the fluid
o Clot will then get removed via various enzyme processes
Lymphomas remain in the lymph nodes BUT leukaemias occur in the blood
o Cell retention in marrow can lead to issues with platelet production
Many cancers driven by abnormal signal transduction
CML:
o Caused by translocation (n. abnormality caused by rearrangement of parts
between non-homologous chromosomes) between two chromosomes
o homologous chromosomes n. chromosome pairs (one from each parent)
that are similar in length, gene position and centromere location
o All people with CML have a miniature chromosome
o Translocation between gene on chromosome 22 (BCR) and a tyrosine kinase
containing gene on chromosome 9 (ABL); leads to a hybrid protein
Tyrosine kinase activity no longer regulated in new protein

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 Tyrosine kinase essentially acts as a permanently switched on
growth factor receptor
o Tyrosine kinase binds to ATP, transfers phosphate to a tyrosine of a
substrate; which can then promote survival, proliferate etc.
To model this, imatinib created to bind to ATP binding pocket,
preventing the above from occurring