LEUKEMIA AND SENESCENCE

Leukemia and senescence



Leukemia and senescence

Introduction

Leukemia or leukemia of a whole group of tumors, are characterized by uncontrolled proliferation and varying degrees of differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Leukemic cells thus are descendants of one mutant clone cells (Kurzrock & Bueso, et al, 2001). The cause of leukemia, as a rule, chromosomal aberrations, i.e. changes in the structure of chromosomes as a result of various restructuring processes in their structure: translocations, deletions, inversions, fragmentation.

The leukemia and hyperleukocytosis sometimes referred to as a blood cancer or leukemia is a disease of the blood-forming system. It was the first time in 1845 by Rudolf Virchow described who coined the name. Depending on the course we distinguish acute and chronic leukemia's. Acute leukemia's are life-threatening diseases that cause untreated until a few weeks to months to death. Chronic leukemia's usually run over several years and are often few symptoms in its early stages.

In accordance with the traditional classification, all divided into acute leukemia (AL) and chronic (CL). Such division is due to the different ability to differentiate these tumors proliferating cells. In the case of acute leukemia differentiation is virtually absent in the blood builds up a lot of immature, nonfunctional blast cells, which leads to inhibition of normal hematopoiesis of all germs. These signs are detected in the blood of more than 80% of cases. Chronic leukemia (leukemia) gives the population of differentiated cells, usually granulocytic, gradually replacing the normal cells in peripheral blood (Goldman & Szydlo et al, 1993).

Leukemias are characterized by greatly increased production of white blood cells (leukocytes) and especially their precursors from dysfunctional. These leukemia cells spread in the bone marrow out, force out the normal blood formation and usually occur also proliferated in the peripheral blood (Attias & Grunberger, et al, 1995). You can liver, spleen, lymph nodes and other organs infiltrate and affect their function. By disrupting the formation of blood leads to the reduction of normal blood components. The result is an anemia due to lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells (erythrocytes), a lack of haemostatic platelet count (platelets) and a shortage of functioning white blood cells (leukocytes).

Epidemiology and the Causes and Course of Illness 

Although many studies have so far failed to unambiguously determine the cause of leukemia. They can be affected by factors such as radiation, certain chemicals and viruses. Not without significance are also inherited a genetic predisposition. Frequently several of these factors occur simultaneously, which leads to facilitate the overlap of changes in leukocytes or weaken the body's immune system. There are several types of disease, depending on where the victim changes. Myelogenous leukemia is characterized by impaired proliferation and maturation of blood cells. Their immature forms accumulate in the bone marrow, also comes to their infiltration into other organs and tissues (Heskel & White, et al, 1983). In acute lymphoblastic leukemia followed by proliferation and infiltration of lymphoid tissue, are usually combined with enlargement of lymph nodes, liver and spleen. Have milder types of chronic diseases such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which can treat with a good chance even for a few years of ...