Auer rods
Encyclopedia
Auer rods can be seen in the leukemic blasts of acute myeloid leukemia
. Auer rods are clumps of azurophil
ic granular material that form elongated needles seen in the cytoplasm
of leukemic blasts. They are composed of fused lysosomes and contain peroxidase
, lysosomal enzymes, and large crystalline inclusions.
Auer rods are classically seen in myeloid blasts of M1, M2, M3, and M4 acute leukemias.
They are also used to distinguish the pre-leukemia myelodysplastic syndromes: refractory anemia with excess blasts 2 (which has Auer rods) from RAEB 1 (which does not).
, an American physiologist (1875-1948).
Acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...
. Auer rods are clumps of azurophil
Azurophil
An azurophil is an object readily stained with an azure dye. Azurophils include certain cytoplasmic granules in white blood cells and hyperchromatin, imparting a burgundy or merlot coloration. Neutrophils in particular are known for containing azurophils loaded with a wide variety of...
ic granular material that form elongated needles seen in the cytoplasm
Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is a small gel-like substance residing between the cell membrane holding all the cell's internal sub-structures , except for the nucleus. All the contents of the cells of prokaryote organisms are contained within the cytoplasm...
of leukemic blasts. They are composed of fused lysosomes and contain peroxidase
Peroxidase
Peroxidases are a large family of enzymes that typically catalyze a reaction of the form:For many of these enzymes the optimal substrate is hydrogen peroxide, but others are more active with organic hydroperoxides such as lipid peroxides...
, lysosomal enzymes, and large crystalline inclusions.
Auer rods are classically seen in myeloid blasts of M1, M2, M3, and M4 acute leukemias.
They are also used to distinguish the pre-leukemia myelodysplastic syndromes: refractory anemia with excess blasts 2 (which has Auer rods) from RAEB 1 (which does not).
Eponym
These cytoplasmic inclusions are named for John AuerJohn Auer
John Auer was an American physiologist and pharmacologist. He was a graduate of Johns Hopkins University Medical School , and was son-in-law to physiologist Samuel James Meltzer , whom he closely worked with at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.The eponymous Auer rods are named after...
, an American physiologist (1875-1948).
External links
- Image at NIH/MedlinePlusMedlinePlusMedlinePlus is a free Web site that provides consumer health information for patients, families, and Health care providers. The site brings together information from the United States National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health , other U.S. government agencies, and...
- Slides at wadsworth.org
- Image at University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...