3f - 1 (Division of Task)
3f - 1 (Division of Task)
3f - 1 (Division of Task)
A case study in
HEMATOLOGY LABORATORY II
Flow cytometry is the gold standard test for diagnosing PNH. It uses monoclonal
antibodies and a reagent called fluorescent aerolysin reagent (FLAER) that binds directly to
GPI-anchored proteins, specifically the glycan region. This test has a high sensitivity and
specificity for screening a range of GPI-anchored proteins, most notably CD55 and CD59 2.
Flow cytometry tests come in two types: low sensitivity and high sensitivity. Although
low-sensitivity flow cytometry tests can diagnose PNH, a high-sensitivity test is superior at
detecting PNH in the context of another bone marrow illness. PNH can be classified into
three kinds based on the clinical picture and laboratory test results. 1. PNH classic. 2. PNH
in combination with another BM condition 3. There is evidence of hemolysis as well as a
primary bone marrow problem in PNH with BM abnormalities. To track the progression of the
condition, patients should be reassessed every 6 to 12 months for the size of the PNH clone.
Patients should also be reviewed if their clinical condition or laboratory tests change
significantly 2.
In addition, if the patient has several comorbidities and indicates a wish to focus on
comfort care, palliative care should be addressed. The palliative care team, the patient, and
the family should have a thorough discussion about the future alternatives for care, taking
into account the patient's mortality risk on a case-by-case basis 3.
CHAPTER II
(Prepared by: John Kenenth C. Agustin)
PATIENT’S DATA
Patient information:
❖ 31 years old
❖ Caucasian woman
Patient manifestations:
❖ Tea-colored urine for seven days
❖ Menstrual period was over two weeks ago
❖ Experienced jaundice for three days
❖ Experienced intense abdominal pain for three days
Patient’s history:
❖ There was no medical history for kidney stones, weight loss, night sweats,
hemoptysis, or melena. The patient tested negative for pregnancy, and informed that
there was no drug abuse. Moreover, she also started on Eculizumab, and from that
there is a significant improvement.
Laboratory tests:
Urinalysis results:
● Color - Red
● Clarity - Clear
● Specific gravity - 1.025
● pH - 6.0
● Glucose - Negative
● Albumin - +1
● Hemoglobin - +2
● Perl’s Stain on sediments - +2
Further tests:
❖ Direct Coomb’s Test - Negative
❖ Liver Ultrasound - Mild hepatomegaly; no signs of stones; no hepatic mass
❖ Immunophenotyping - CD55 and CD59 absent on 78% of RBCs
❖ Sugar Lysis Test - Positive
❖ Cytogenetics - Mutation in phosphatidylinositol-glycan complementation class A
❖ Bone Marrow Examination - Hypoplastic
❖ Osmotic Fragility Test - Negative
Ham’s tests:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Px Result Trace ++ + 0 0 0 0
CHAPTER III
The bone marrow, a soft and spongy tissue, also one of the largest organs in the
body, is considered as the primary lymphoid organ and a major hematopoietic organ that is
responsible for the production of bone marrow stem cells which are then converted into
erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, lymphocytes and platelets. This organ is found
within the central cavities of axial and long bones and has many blood vessels in it.
Approximately this accounts for 4-5% of the body weight in humans 4.
There are actually two types of bone marrow which are red and yellow. These types
have different functions. Each type of bone marrow serves a vital purpose in our body:
1. Red Marrow. This type of bone marrow is involved in blood cell production. This is
where hematopoietic stem cells are found and can develop into a variety of different
blood cells, including: red blood cells which carry the oxygen to the tissues in the
body, platelets that prevent bleeding by creating blood clots, and white blood cells
that help fight the infection. 5
2. Yellow Marrow. Your red bone marrow is eventually replaced by yellow bone
marrow as you become older. Red bone marrow can only be present in a few bones
by adulthood, including the: skull, vertebrae, sternum, ribs, the ends of humerus,
pelvis, the ends of the femur, and the ends of the tibia. This type of bone marrow is
involved in the storage of fats which are called adipocytes where it is used as an
energy source when needed. It is yellow due to high fat content 5.
In the event of severe blood loss, yellow bone marrow can be stimulated and
converted into red bone marrow. As people become older, more red bone marrow changes
into yellow bone marrow, making it more difficult to produce new blood cells. Anatomically
speaking, bone marrow consists of blood vessels in which it prevents immature blood cells
from exiting the said organ. Therefore, blood vessels act as a barrier. Only mature blood
cells have the membrane proteins needed to adhere to and pass through the endothelium of
blood vessels. Hematopoietic stem cells can also get through the bone marrow barrier and
be extracted for circulation.In the bone marrow, there is biologic compartmentalization,
which means that various cell types tend to congregate in certain locations. Erythrocytes,
macrophages, and their progenitors, for example, prefer to congregate around blood
vessels, whereas granulocytes congregate around the bone marrow's boundaries 6.
Mesenchymal cells can also be seen in bone marrow stroma. These cells have the
capability to self-renew by dividing and grow into different variety of cell types which
includes: osteoblasts, osteoclasts, chondrocytes, myocytes, fibroblasts, macrophages,
adipocytes, and endothelial cells. Although they are not directly involved in the main
function of hematopoiesis, it does offer the microenvironment and colony-stimulating factors
required by parenchymal cells to assist the process of hematopoiesis 6.
B. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (Prepared by: Ray Brandon B. Sunio)
Etiology
Development (progression)
A phosphatidylinositol (PI) molecule and a glycan core make up the GPI anchor. A
mutation in the PIGA gene, which codes for phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis
class A (PIG-A), also known as phosphatidylinositol N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase subunit
A, causes PNH in hematopoietic stem cells. The hematopoietic stem cell is unable to
properly generate the glycan core on phosphatidylinositol in the membrane without a fully
functional glycosyl transferase enzyme, and thus lacks membrane GPI anchors. All of the
progeny of the mutated stem cell are unable to express any of the approximately 20
GPI-anchored proteins seen on normal blood cells without GPI anchors. GPI-anchored
proteins are Complement regulators, enzymes, adhesion molecules, blood type antigens,
and receptors 9.
Two GPI-anchored proteins on the RBC membrane, decay accelerating factor (DAF, or
CD55), and membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis, are absent or defective in PNH, which is
relevant to the occurrence of hemolysis (MIRL, or CD59) 9. CD55 inhibits the C3 and C5
convertases of the complement alternative pathway, whereas CD59 hinders the
development of the membrane attack complex. When CD55 and CD59 are missing from the
surface of RBCs, the cell is unable to avoid complement activation, resulting in spontaneous
and persistent intravascular hemolysis. PIGA is the sole gene required for GPI anchor
production that is found on the X chromosome. As a result, the PNH phenotype in a stem
cell requires only one acquired mutation in the PIGA gene (males have only one X
chromosome, and in females one of the X chromosomes is inactivated) 10.
These various mutations cause varying expression of CD55 and CD59 on RBCs within
a single patient, resulting in three RBC phenotypes: type I, type II, and type III 11. Type I
RBCs are phenotypically normal, have normal levels of CD55 and CD59 expression, and
experience little or no complement-mediated hemolysis. Type II RBCs are caused by a PIGA
mutation that results in only a partial lack of CD55 and CD59, and these cells are
reasonably resistant to complement-mediated hemolysis. Type III RBCs are caused by a
PIGA mutation that results in a complete lack of the GPI anchor, therefore no CD55 or CD59
proteins are attached to the RBC surface. Type III RBCs are extremely vulnerable to
complement-induced lysis. In PNH, the most common RBC phenotype is a mix of type I and
type III cells, whereas the second most common has all three kinds. When determining the
severity of hemolysis in PNH, both the relative volume and type of circulating RBCs are
taken into account 10.
Patients with PNH may have bone marrow dysfunction in addition to hemolysis,
which contributes to the severity of the anemia. Many patients have a history of bone
marrow failure caused by acquired aplastic anemia or myelodysplastic syndrome that occurs
before or at the same time as the development of PNH, resulting in a hypoplastic PNH
manifestation 12.
The most common clinical manifestations and implications of PNH are those
associated with hemolytic anemia, thrombosis, and bone marrow failure. The severity of
anemia varies according to the main type of RBC, the degree of hemolysis, and the
existence of bone marrow failure. The intravascular hemolysis causes dark/tea-colored urine
(hemoglobinuria) and jaundice. Furthermore, during intravascular hemolytic events, free
hemoglobin rapidly scavenges and eliminates nitric oxide (NO). Smooth muscle dystonia
(esophageal spasms, dysphagia, erectile dysfunction, abdomen and back pain) or platelet
activation and thrombosis can result from low NO levels. Hepatic vein thrombosis is the
most prevalent thrombotic manifestation, which obstructs venous outflow from the liver,
resulting in a significant, often deadly consequence. Patients may potentially develop
chronic kidney disease as a result of renal tubule damage caused by microvascular
thrombosis and iron buildup during episodes of hemoglobinuria 9.
Metamyelocytes 0
Myelocytes 0
Promyelocytes 0
Blasts 0
Promonocytes 0
nRBC/100 WBC 0
WBC Morphology Normal in number and The number of white blood cells in the
morphology body at any given time can help in the
detection of any underlying infection.
Any variation from the typical range of
WBC counts could be due to an
underlying disease.
Platelet Moderate thrombocytopenia; Thrombocytopenia with small platelets
Morphology normal in morphology indicates a platelet production
abnormality.
Platelet size is diagnostically important,
especially when it is set in relation to
platelet count. Thrombocytopenia with
small platelets indicates decreased
platelet production in the bone marrow,
as seen in aplastic anemia.19
SERUM CHEMISTRY
URINALYSIS
Immuno- Presence of CD55 and ABNORMAL CD55 and CD59 are two
phenotyping CD55 and CD59 absent GPI-anchored proteins that
CD59 on 78% of play a role in controlling
RBCs complement activation 13. Due
to a mutation in the PIGA
gene, deficiency of these
GPI-anchored proteins
happens– complement action
becomes uninhibited and this
leads to the
complement-mediated
hemolysis characteristic of PNH
27
.
Sugar Lysis Negative Positive ABNORMAL The sugar lysis test or sucrose
Test lysis test is one of the
traditional complement-based
tests used to screen for PNH.
[28] With the patient testing
positive for this test, it is a
possible diagnosis for PNH.
Therefore, by having a
mutation in this gene as
detected in this test performed
on the patient, PNH
manifestations occur and it
now leads us to a possible
diagnosis of PNH.
Bone Marrow Normal Hypoplastic ABNORMAL PNH may manifest with bone
Examination marrow failure 28.PNH in itself
is a case of bone marrow
failure disorder as a mutation
in the PIG-A gene in a clone of
bone marrow stem cells leads
to a defective production of
GPI-anchored proteins, hence
the hemolysis manifestations
29
.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rationale
The patient’s
result tested
positive for
hemolysis as seen
in tubes 2 and 3,
containing the
patient’s red cell
suspension and
the mild acid.
The patient was started on Eculizumab and there has been a significant improvement
since then. This drug is the first drug treatment of choice for PNH patients 13, as when this is
taken around the early stage, it may prevent further complications 28. Eculizumab has also
been proven to be highly effective in the control of hemolysis associated with PNH, resulting
in the improvement of the history of PNH patients. [31] It was mentioned earlier in the
tables above that bone marrow transplant is the most effective choice for treatment of
classical PNH 14, but it should only be the option when there is minimal reaction to
Eculizumab.
CHAPTER V
(Prepared by: Maria Trisha A. Soriano)
SUMMARY
The case of a 31 year old Caucasian woman after visiting her family doctor as she
noticed that her urine was tea-colored for the previous seven days. Knowing that her
menstrual cycle is regular but this time her monthly period had ended two weeks earlier.
She had never suffered kidney stones, weight loss, night sweats, hemoptysis, or melena
before. There was no drug misuse either. Her vital statistics were unexceptional. A complete
blood count (CBC), urinalysis and renal ultrasonography were all normal at the initial exam.
Her urine pregnancy test was negative too but then she developed jaundice and severe
abdominal pain after three days. Since the patient was receiving Eculizumab, the patient's
condition has significantly improved. The attending physician requested a complete blood
count, serum chemistry, and urinalysis, and there are other tests that are involved such as
Direct Coomb’s Test, Liver Ultrasound, Immunophenotyping, Sugar Lysis Test, Cytogenetics,
Bone Marrow Examination, Osmotic Fragility Test and Ham’s test. After evaluating her
results, it is suspected that she has PNH (Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria). PNH is a
disease in which the absence of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor causes red blood
cells to lyse.
● FLOW CYTOMETRY
Ham’s test and sucrose lysis test are the traditional tests for diagnosing PNH
24
, however, they have become obsolete as it can be taxing, certain conditions should
be met, and requires great care in order not to produce false results 28.Flow
cytometry, on the other hand, has become the gold standard in diagnosing PNH as it
allows evaluation of population of blood cells 32. This test has a higher sensitivity in
detecting even tiny PNH populations 32. Being the gold standard test for this disease,
this will help in confirming the diagnosis of PNH.
GROUP INSIGHTS
ARINZOL, Christian T.
The importance of laboratory testing cannot be overstated. In situations
where any single mistake or error is not an excuse or an alternative, precise and
accurate analysis is a must. Medical professionals must confirm the accuracy of
healthcare data or outcomes with every specimen that enters the laboratory. If we
want to know which medications will be most effective for particular patients, we
need to collect more data for us to know what are the specific reasons why certain
diseases occur and can now better understand the case for Improved methods about
disease prevention, detection, and treatment. Errors in laboratories and medical
facilities can have a severe impact on a healthcare facility's image and result in
significant expenses for the institution and the government.
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bedside. Clinical and translational science, 4(3), 219–224, 2011. Retrieved from
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