Great Big Biomedical Science Quiz - Haematology

1 What name can be ascribed to the blue-green materials found within neutrophils of critically ill patients that are associated with a high mortality rate?

2 In relation to myelodysplastic neoplasms (myelodysplastic syndrome, MDS), the mutation of which gene has diagnostic relevance and reduces the required percentage of ring sideroblasts from >15% to >5%?

3 Which CD38-specific therapy used for the treatment of myeloma can adversely affect the accuracy of standard pre-transfusion testing approaches?

4 Which classification system was introduced in 2022 for the classification of haematological malignancy?

5 Why were blood transfusions banned for 300 years in the UK?

6 Who discovered the ABO blood group system?

7 Name three conditions that a target cell is found in.

8 What is a common anticoagulant that is the most likely cause of a raised APTT?




Answers below:

1 What name can be ascribed to the blue-green materials found within neutrophils of critically ill patients that are associated with a high mortality rate?
Critical green inclusions (crystals of death)

2 In relation to myelodysplastic neoplasms (myelodysplastic syndrome, MDS), the mutation of which gene has diagnostic relevance and reduces the required percentage of ring sideroblasts from >15% to >5%?
SF3B1

3 Which CD38-specific therapy used for the treatment of myeloma can adversely affect the accuracy of standard pre-transfusion testing approaches?
Daratumumab.

4 Which classification system was introduced in 2022 for the classification of haematological malignancy?
International Consensus Classification (ICC)

5 Why were blood transfusions banned for 300 years in the UK?
They killed a patient with an acute haemolytic transfusion reaction when they transfused the blood from a lamb.

6 Who discovered the ABO blood group system?
Karl Lansteiner

7 Name three conditions that a target cell is found in.
Haemoglobinopathies (including Thalassaemia), liver disease, hyposplenism

8 What is a common anticoagulant that is the most likely cause of a raised APTT?
Heparin.