INTRODUCTION TO HAEMATOPOIESIS

Presenter: Dr. L.H. Chili

Checked by Dr N Rapiti

Date: September 2020

3rd yr BSc
• Haematopoiesis:
• The process of blood cell formation

• Occurs in bone marrow in adults

• Involves cell:
• division
• differentiation
• apoptosis / regulation
• gene transcription

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• According to physiological demand
• Cytopenias
• Infections
• Physiological changes – pregnancy, growth spurts etc

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• Assessed via
• Blood analysis
• Haematology laboratory tests
• FBC, differential count, peripheral smear
• Reticulocyte count
• Bone marrow biopsy
• Variety of functional tests ( eg coagulation test for platelets)

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CELL CYCLE

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 ERYTHROPOIESIS
• 10 ^12 new red cells every day
• Complex and finely regulated process
• Regulated by hormone EPO

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 GRANULOPOIESIS
• Granulocytes- neutrophils (polymorphs), eosinophils, basophils
• Blood granulocytes and monocytes- formed in the bone marrow
• From a common precursor cell
• Myeloblasts, promyelocytes, myelocytes- proliferative or mitotic pool of cells
• Metamyelocytes, bands and neutrophils- post mitotic pool
• Large number of bands and neutrophils- held in marrow – “reserve pool” or
storage compartment
• Bone marrow > myeloid than erythroid cells
• Following release into peripheral blood- granulocytes spend 6-10hrs in
circulation
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 LYMPHOPOIESIS
• Lymphocytes are immunologically competent cells
• Assist phagocytes in the defence of the body against infection and
other foreign invasion
• Bone marrow and thymus- primary lymphoid organs in which
lymphocytes develop
• Secondary lymphoid organs- in which specific immune responses are
generated- lymph nodes, spleen, lymphoid tissues of the gut and
respiratory tract

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• Develop:
• in the bone marrow
• from Haemopoietic Stem cell to Common lymphoid progenitor
• ultimately B and NK cell types in the bone marrow
• and T-cells in the thymus

• Production is under the influence of Interleukin 6 (B cells) and Interleukin 2 (T-cells)

• Undergo selection to:

• prevent auto-reactivity
• Generate high affinity specific immune response

• Function to
• fight viral infections
• and generate specific host immunity

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 THROMBOPOIESIS
• Platelets are produced in the bone marrow by fragmentation of the
cytoplasm of megakaryocytes
• Precursor of the megakaryocyte- megakaryoblast- arises by the
process of differentiation from the hematopoietic stem cell
• Megakaryocyte matures by endomitotic synchronous nuclear
replication- enlarging the cytoplasmic volume as the number of
nuclear lobes increase in multiples of 2
• TPO- major regulator of platelet production

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 APOPTOSIS
• Regulated process of physiological cell death in which cells are
triggered to activate intracellular proteins that lead to the death of
the cell
• Morphologically – cell shrinkage, condensation of the nuclear
chromatin, fragmentation of the nucleus and cleavage of DNA at
internucleosomal sites
• Important process for maintaining tissue homeostasis in
haemopoeisis and lymphocyte development

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• The end

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 Questions
1) Haematopoiesis is:
The process of formation of blood cells (T)
Takes place in the yolk sac, liver and bone marrow (T)
Involves gene transcription through signal transduction (T)
Stopped by apoptosis (F)
Continuous throughout life span (T)

2) Erythropoiesis:
Is driven by erythropoietin growth factor (T)
Is the process of production of platelets (F)
Is closley associated with production of hemoglobin (T)
Produces reticulocytes (T)
Terminates with the production of nucleated red cells (F)
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3) Granulopoiesis:
Produces mature neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and monocytes (T)
Starts with stem cell division (T)
Uses only GCSF for cell differebtiation (F)
Decreases during infection (F)
Has three pools (mitotic, post mitotic and reserve) (T)

4) With regards to thrombopoiesis:

Megakaryocytes are the source of platelets (T)
Megakaryocytes are the largest bone marrow cells (T)
Platelet production is increased in bleeding episodes (T)
Platelet production growth factor is Thrombopoietin (T)
Platelets function to stop haemorrhage (T)
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Short questions:
1) Discuss characteristics of myeloid haemopoietic growth factors

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2) Briefly discuss lymphopoiesis with reference to development and function

• Develop:
• in the bone marrow
• from Haemopoietic Stem cell to Common lymphoid progenitor
• ultimately B and NK cell types in the bone marrow
• and T-cells in the thymus

• Production is under the influence of Interleukin 6 (B cells) and Interleukin 2 (T-cells)

• Undergo selection to:

• prevent auto-reactivity
• Generate high affinity specific immune response

• Function to
• fight viral infections
• and generate specific host immunity
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• The real end

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