Introduction
Pathologic cells are atypical in respect to form and or function. Responses are detrimental to the patient.
Non-pathologic cells are normal variations in cells.
Reactive cells are not normal but are a normal variation in viral or bacterial diseases. It is important to differentiate cells for diagnosing, preventing misdiagnosis, or monitor the course of a disease.
HYPER, HYPO, and SEGMENTED NEUTROPHILS
NORMAL NEUTROPHILS are 9-13 microns with 3-5 lobes. HYPRSEGMENTED NEUTROPHILS have more than 6 lobes, may exceed 15 microns,(seen in Eos and Basos). The extra lobes are due to defective DNA production. The defect slows maturation thus producing many segs. Cytoplasm is normal, but the cell is pathological; seen in megalblastic anemia, folic acid deficiency, pernicious anemia, chemotherapy.
HYPOSEGMENTED NEUTROPHILS
< 3 lobes, shaped like peanuts, round, bands, or double lobed. Nucleus is smooth pyknotic. Can be caused by severe burns, infections, malignancy, chemo, or sulfonamides. If cells are aquired they are called Pelger-Huet cells. Heterozygous persons display many differnt forms, and more of them. Monozygous tend to be mor round and fewer. Phagocytosis is not affected so they are non pathological variant. Bands are due to infections and Pelger Huets are genetic. Don't get them mixed up in reporting. The bi-lobed neutrophil is called pince-nez from the french word for glasses. Sometimes cells in EDTA will appear round pyknotic with a neutrophilic cytoplasm. NOT PH.
BARR BODIES
A Barr body Is a small drumstick-like projection on one of the lobes of a some of the neutrophil in females. Since Barr bodies are the morphological expression of the inactivated X chromosome, one Barr body can be seen in up to 3% of the neutrophils on a female's peripheral blood slide. In rare chromosome disorders in which three or more X chromosomes are present, two to three Barr bodies per neutrophil can be seen.
Clubs have a thicker, and sometimes, a double stalk. Seen in both males & females and are not clinically significant.
Hair-like projections are sometimes seen in the band form, following irradiation or in patients with a malignant tumor that has metastasized.
Barr bodies are not important unless 2 or more are seenc(chromosome disorder). Clubs are normal. Cancer patients may have hair like projections.
HYPERSEGMENTED NEUTROPHILS
A normal mature neutrophil is 9-13 microns in diameter and contains 3-5 lobes or segments.
When the number of segments is increased to six or more the cell is hypersegmented. Some hypersegmented cells will be larger than in 15 microns. Hypersegmentation is seen most frequently in neutrophils but can also occur in eosinophils and basophils.
The nuclear segments are composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). A defect in the production of DNA causes the maturation process to be slower than normal which in turn causes the nucleus to hypersegment. The cytoplasm will be normal in appearance and function, indicating that these cells are capable of phagocytosis. These cells are considered pathological
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BIOL3326 Forms
