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Immunohematology
Immunohematology is a branch of hematology and transfusion medicine which studies antigen-antibody reactions and analogous phenomena as they relate to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of blood disorders. A person employed in this field is referred to as an immunohematologist or colloquially as a blood banker. Their day-to-day duties include blood typing, cross-matching and antibody identification.Todd, C. Interview. 16 May 2008. Immunohematologist. Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine is a medical post graduate specialty in many countries. The specialist Immunohematology and Transfusion Physician provides expert opinion for difficult transfusions, massive transfusions, incompatibility work up, therapeutic plasmapheresis, cellular therapy, irradiated blood therapy, leukoreduced and washed blood products, stem cell procedures, platelet rich plasma therapies, HLA and cord blood banking. Other research avenues are in the field of stem cell researches, regenerative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Transfusion Medicine
Transfusion medicine (or transfusiology) is the branch of medicine that encompasses all aspects of the Blood transfusion, transfusion of blood and blood components including aspects related to hemovigilance. It includes issues of blood donation, immunohematology and other laboratory testing for transfusion-transmitted diseases, management and monitoring of clinical transfusion practices, Blood management, patient blood management, therapeutic apheresis, stem cell collections, cellular therapy, and blood coagulation, coagulation. Laboratory management and understanding of state and federal regulations related to blood products are also a large part of the field. Overview In most countries, immunohematology and transfusion medicine specialists provide expert opinion on massive transfusions, difficult/incompatible transfusions and rational use of specialised blood product therapy like irradiated blood/leukodepleted/washed blood products. The blood donor center is the facility that col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hematology
Hematology (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the production of blood and its components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, bone marrow, platelets, blood vessels, spleen, and the mechanism of coagulation. Such diseases might include hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, blood clots (thrombus), other bleeding disorders, and blood cancers such as leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma. The laboratory analysis of blood is frequently performed by a medical technologist or medical laboratory scientist. Specialization Physicians specialized in hematology are known as hematologists or haematologists. Their routine work mainly includes the care and treatment of patients with hematological diseases, although some may also work at the hema ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antigen
In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule, moiety, foreign particulate matter, or an allergen, such as pollen, that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response. Antigens can be proteins, peptides (amino acid chains), polysaccharides (chains of simple sugars), lipids, or nucleic acids. Antigens exist on normal cells, cancer cells, parasites, viruses, fungus, fungi, and bacteria. Antigens are recognized by antigen receptors, including antibodies and T-cell receptors. Diverse antigen receptors are made by cells of the immune system so that each cell has a specificity for a single antigen. Upon exposure to an antigen, only the lymphocytes that recognize that antigen are activated and expanded, a process known as clonal selection. In most cases, antibodies are ''antigen-specific'', meaning that an antibody can only react to and bind one specific antigen; in some instances, however, antibodies may cr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antibody
An antibody (Ab) or immunoglobulin (Ig) is a large, Y-shaped protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily which is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize antigens such as pathogenic bacteria, bacteria and viruses, including those that cause disease. Each individual antibody recognizes one or more specific antigens, and antigens of virtually any size and chemical composition can be recognized. Antigen literally means "antibody generator", as it is the presence of an antigen that drives the formation of an antigen-specific antibody. Each of the branching chains comprising the "Y" of an antibody contains a paratope that specifically binds to one particular epitope on an antigen, allowing the two molecules to bind together with precision. Using this mechanism, antibodies can effectively "tag" the antigen (or a microbe or an infected cell bearing such an antigen) for attack by cells of the immune system, or can neutralize it directly (for example, by blocking a p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood Disorder
Hematologic diseases are disorders which primarily affect the blood and blood-forming organs. Hematologic diseases include rare genetic disorders, anemia, HIV, sickle cell disease and complications from chemotherapy or transfusions. Myeloid * Hemoglobinopathies (congenital abnormality of the hemoglobin molecule or of the rate of hemoglobin synthesis) ** Sickle cell disease ** Thalassemia ** Methemoglobinemia * Anemias (lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin) ** Iron-deficiency anemia ** Megaloblastic anemia *** Vitamin B12 deficiency **** Pernicious anemia *** Folate deficiency ** Hemolytic anemias (destruction of red blood cells) *** Genetic disorders of RBC membrane **** Hereditary spherocytosis **** Hereditary elliptocytosis **** Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia *** Genetic disorders of RBC metabolism **** Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) **** Pyruvate kinase deficiency *** Immune mediated hemolytic anemia ( direct Coombs test is positive) **** Au ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood Typing
Blood compatibility testing is conducted in a medical laboratory to identify potential incompatibilities between Human blood group systems, blood group systems in blood transfusion. It is also used to diagnose and prevent some complications of pregnancy that can occur when the baby has a different blood group from the mother. Blood compatibility testing includes blood typing, which detects the antigens on red blood cells that determine a person's blood type; testing for unexpected antibody, antibodies against blood group antigens (antibody screening and identification); and, in the case of blood transfusions, mixing the recipient's blood plasma, plasma with the donor's red blood cells to detect incompatibilities (crossmatching). Routine blood typing involves determining the ABO blood group, ABO and RhD (Rh factor) type, and involves both identification of ABO antigens on red blood cells (forward grouping) and identification of ABO antibodies in the plasma (reverse grouping). Human ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cross-matching
Cross-matching or crossmatching is a test performed before a blood transfusion as part of blood compatibility testing. Normally, this involves adding the recipient's blood plasma to a sample of the donor's red blood cells. If the blood is incompatible, the antibodies in the recipient's plasma will bind to antigens on the donor red blood cells. This antibody-antigen reaction can be detected through visible clumping or destruction of the red blood cells, or by reaction with anti-human globulin. Along with blood typing of the donor and recipient and screening for unexpected blood group antibodies, cross-matching is one of a series of steps in pre-transfusion testing. In some circumstances, an electronic cross-match can be performed by comparing records of the recipient's ABO and Rh blood type against that of the donor sample. In emergencies, blood may be issued before cross-matching is complete. Cross-matching is also used to determine compatibility between a donor and recipien ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red White Blood Cells
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary color (made from magenta and yellow) in the CMYK color model, and is the complementary color of cyan. Reds range from the brilliant yellow-tinged scarlet and vermillion to bluish-red crimson, and vary in shade from the pale red pink to the dark red burgundy. Red pigment made from ochre was one of the first colors used in prehistoric art. The Ancient Egyptians and Mayans colored their faces red in ceremonies; Roman generals had their bodies colored red to celebrate victories. It was also an important color in China, where it was used to color early pottery and later the gates and walls of palaces. In the Renaissance, the brilliant red costumes for the nobility and wealthy were dyed with kermes and cochineal. The 19th century brought ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plasmapheresis
Plasmapheresis (from the Greek language, Greek πλάσμα, ''plasma'', something molded, and ἀφαίρεσις ''aphairesis'', taking away) is the removal, treatment, and return or exchange of blood plasma or components thereof from and to the circulatory system, blood circulation. It is thus an extracorporeal therapy, a medical procedure performed outside the body. Three general types of plasmapheresis can be distinguished: * ''Autologous'', removing blood plasma, treating it in some way, and returning it to the same person, as a therapy. * ''Exchange'', a patient's blood plasma is removed, while blood products are given in replacement. This type is called plasma exchange (PE, PLEX, or PEX) or plasma exchange therapy (PET). The removed plasma is discarded and the patient receives replacement donor plasma, albumin, or a combination of albumin and saline (medicine), saline (usually 70% albumin and 30% saline). * ''Donation'', removing blood plasma, separating its components, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cellular Therapy
Cell therapy (also called cellular therapy, cell transplantation, or cytotherapy) is a therapy in which viable cells are injected, grafted or implanted into a patient in order to effectuate a medicinal effect, for example, by transplanting T-cells capable of fighting cancer cells via cell-mediated immunity in the course of immunotherapy, or grafting stem cells to regenerate diseased tissues. Cell therapy originated in the nineteenth century when scientists experimented by injecting animal material in an attempt to prevent and treat illness. Although such attempts produced no positive benefit, further research found in the mid twentieth century that human cells could be used to help prevent the human body rejecting transplanted organs, leading in time to successful bone marrow transplantation as has become common practice in treatment for patients that have compromised bone marrow after disease, infection, radiation or chemotherapy. In recent decades, however, stem cell and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Human Leukocyte Antigen
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is a complex of genes on chromosome 6 in humans that encode cell-surface proteins responsible for regulation of the immune system. The HLA system is also known as the human version of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) found in many animals. Mutations in HLA genes may be linked to autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes, and celiac disease. The HLA gene complex resides on a 3 Mbp stretch within chromosome 6, p-arm at 21.3. HLA genes are highly polymorphic, which means that they have many different alleles, allowing them to fine-tune the adaptive immune system. The proteins encoded by certain genes are also known as '' antigens'', as a result of their historic discovery as factors in organ transplants. HLAs corresponding to MHC class I ( A, B, and C), all of which are the HLA Class1 group, present peptides from inside the cell. For example, if the cell is infected by a virus, the HLA system brings fragments of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
