Recent progress towards the identification of products synthesised by some blood cells (ex.: cytokines, interleukins, interferons, etc) as well as the identification of white blood cell and stem cell membrane antigens, has aided the exceptional development of laboratory diagnostics of several haematological diseases. In addition to this there has been a great development in the use of molecular biology techniques which have become instrumentals of high definition in the diagnosis and prevention of haematological diseases, specifically those of hereditary origin. This article has the aim of disclosing the main applications of the new technologies that will soon be used widely in laboratory haematology.
Haematology; molecular biology; cytokines
