Clinical Pathology and Serum Chemistry Review; Exam 1

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering serum chemistry enzymes, organ function markers, hematopoiesis, urinalysis, and clinical pathology review notes.

Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)

A cytosolic and mitochondrial leakage enzyme ($30\%$ in cytosol, $70\%$ attached to mitochondria) found in skeletal muscle and hepatocytes, whose significant serum elevation indicates severe cellular necrosis.

Creatine Kinase (CK)

A muscle enzyme measured along with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to best detect skeletal muscle damage.

d-Xylose Test

A screening test used to detect malabsorption syndrome, utilizing d-xylose because it stays in the blood longer than glucose does.

Cytoplasmic Enzymes

Soluble intracellular enzymes usually present in relatively high concentrations that are not attached to subcellular organelles and readily pass through cell membranes into extracellular fluid upon minor cellular injury.

Sorbitol Dehydrogenase (SDH)

An enzyme whose elevated serum activity is specific for acute hepatocellular damage in horses.

Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)

A cytosolic leakage enzyme found mainly in hepatocytes of dogs and cats; serum elevation with normal serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) levels reflects hepatocellular injury.

Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT)

A membrane transport enzyme that, when elevated in serum alongside serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP), reflects biliary obstruction (cholestasis) in dogs.

Trypsinogen-like Immunoreactivity (TLI)

A diagnostic indicator used alongside amylase and lipase to assess the status of the exocrine pancreas.

Bowel Microflora Overgrowth

An intestinal condition secondary to other intestinal disorders indicated by increased serum folate (produced by bacteria) and decreased serum cobalamin levels (destroyed by microflora).

Hypoalbuminemia

Low serum albumin concentration caused by hepatic insufficiency (decreased liver synthesis), glomerular damage (protein loss in urine), or diarrhea (impaired absorption of amino acids).

EDTA

The preferred anticoagulant used when collecting blood samples for a complete blood count (CBC).

Erythropoietin (EPO)

A hormone produced mainly by peritubular interstitial cells in the renal cortex and outer medulla that prolongs erythroid precursor survival, shortens division time, increases cell yield, and stimulates hemoglobin synthesis.

Erythropoiesis

The developmental sequence of red blood cells in bone marrow, progressing through rubriblast, prorubricyte, rubricyte, metarubricyte, polychromatophilic erythrocyte, and mature erythrocyte.

Granulopoiesis

The developmental sequence of granulocytes, progressing through myeloblast, promyelocyte, myelocyte (where specific granules appear), metamyelocyte, band cell, and segmented cell.

Anisocytosis

Variation in the size of erythrocytes present on a peripheral blood smear.

Poikilocytosis

Variation in the shape of erythrocytes present on a blood smear.

Heinz Bodies

Erythrocyte inclusions formed by the precipitation of denatured hemoglobin, commonly caused by onion toxicity, acetaminophen toxicity, or red maple leaf ingestion.

Pancytopenia

A decrease in all three blood cell lines (erythroid, myeloid, and megakaryocytic) in peripheral blood.

Schistocyte

A fragmented erythrocyte resulting from mechanical trauma, commonly caused by conditions such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or hemangiosarcoma.

Spherocytes

Small, spherical erythrocytes lacking central pallor, strongly associated with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA).

Rouleaux Formation

The alignment or stacking of erythrocytes resembling a roll of coins caused by electrostatic attraction, often marked in dogs and cattle during systemic inflammation.

Conjugated Bilirubin

Water-soluble form of bilirubin, also known as direct bilirubin or cholebilirubin.

Ferritin

A water-soluble protein-iron complex used for cellular iron storage.

Methemoglobin

The oxidized state of hemoglobin containing iron in the $\text{Fe}^{3+}$ state, which prevents reversible oxygen binding.

Organized Urinary Sediment

Biological components found during microscopic examination of urine sediment, including epithelial cells, leukocytes, erythrocytes, casts, bacteria, yeast, fungi, protozoa, parasite ova, and sperm.

Unorganized Urinary Sediment

Non-cellular components found during microscopic examination of urine sediment, including crystals, pigments, and fat droplets.