2 NORMOCYTIC AND NORMOCHROMIC ANEMIAS Flashcards
(1) Hypersplenism is characterized by:
A. Polycythemia
B. Pancytosis
C. Leukopenia
D. Myelodysplasia
C. Leukopenia
Hypersplenic conditions are generally described by the following four criteria: (1) cytopenias of one or more peripheral cell lines, (2) splenomegaly, (3) bone marrow hyperplasia, and (4) resolution of cytopenia by splenectomy.
(2) Which of the following organs is responsible for the “pitting process” in RBCs?
A. Liver
B. Spleen
C. Kidney
D. Lymph nodes
B. Spleen
The spleen is the supreme filter of the body, pitting imperfections from the erythrocyte without destroying the integrity of the membrane.
(3) Spherocytes differ from normal RBCs in all of the following except:
A. Decreased surface to volume
B. No central pallor
C. Decreased resistance to hypotonic saline
D. Increased deformability
D. Increased deformability
Spherocytes lose their deformability because of a defect in spectrin, a membrane protein, and are therefore prone to splenic sequestration and hemolysis
(4) Which of the following is not associated with HS?
A. Increased osmotic fragility
B. MCHC greater than 36%
C. Intravascular hemolysis
D. Extravascular hemolysis
C. Intravascular hemolysis
Classic features of intravascular hemolysis, such as hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinuria, or hemosiderinuria, do not occur in HS. The hemolysis seen in HS is an extravascular process, rather than an intravascular process.
(5) Which of the following disorders has an increase in osmotic fragility?
A. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA)
B. Hereditary elliptocytosis (HE)
C. Hereditary stomatocytosis
D. Hereditary spherocytosis (HS)
D. Hereditary spherocytosis (HS)
Spherocytic cells have decreased tolerance to swelling and, therefore, hemolyse at a higher concentration of sodium salt compared with normal RBCs.
(6) The anemia seen in sickle cell disease is usually:
A. Microcytic, normochromic
B. Microcytic, hypochromic
C. Normocytic, normochromic
D. Normocytic, hypochromic
C. Normocytic, normochromic
Sickle cell disease is a chronic hemolytic anemia classified as a normocytic, normochromic anemia.
(7) Which is the major Hgb found in the RBCs of patients with the sickle cell trait?
A. Hgb S
B. Hgb F
C. Hgb A2
D. Hgb A
D. Hgb A
The major Hgb in sickle cell trait is Hgb A, which constitutes 50% to 70% of the total. Hgb S comprises 20% to 40%, and Hgb A2 and Hgb F are present in normal amounts.
(8) Select the amino acid substitution that is responsible for sickle cell anemia.
A. Lysine is substituted for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the α-chain
B. Valine is substituted for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the β-chain
C. Valine is substituted for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the α-chain
D. Glutamine is substituted for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the β-chain
B. Valine is substituted for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the β-chain
The structural mutation for Hgb S is the substitution of valine for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the β-chain. Because glutamic acid is negatively charged, this decreases its rate of migration toward the anode at pH 8.6.
(9) All of the following are usually found in Hgb C disease except:
A. Hgb C crystals
B. Target cells
C. Lysine substituted for glutamic acid at the sixth position of the β–chain
D. Fast mobility of Hgb C at pH 8.6
D. Fast mobility of Hgb C at pH 8.6
Substitution of a positively charged amino acid for a negatively charged amino acid in Hgb C disease results in a slower electrophoretic mobility at pH 8.6.
(10) Which of the following Hgbs migrates to the same position as Hgb A2 at pH 8.6?
A. Hgb H
B. Hgb F
C. Hgb C
D. Hgb S
C. Hgb C
At pH 8.6, several Hgbs migrate together. These include Hgb A2, Hgb C, Hgb E, Hgb 0Arab, and Hgb CHarlem. These are located nearest the cathode at pH 8.6.
(11) Which of the following electrophoretic results is consistent with a diagnosis of the sickle
cell trait?
A. Hgb A: 40% Hgb S: 35% Hgb F: 5%
B. Hgb A: 60% Hgb S: 40% Hgb A2: 2%
C. Hgb A: 0% Hgb A2: 5% Hgb F: 95%
D. Hgb A: 80% Hgb S: 10% Hgb A2: 10%
B. Hgb A: 60% Hgb S: 40% Hgb A2: 2%
Electrophoresis at alkaline pH usually shows 50% to 70% Hgb A, 20% to 40% Hgb S, and normal levels of Hgb A2 in a patient with the sickle cell trait.
(12) In which of the following conditions will autosplenectomy most likely occur?
A. Thalassemia major
B. Hgb C disease
C. Hgb SC disease
D. Sickle cell disease
D. Sickle cell disease
Autosplenectomy occurs in sickle cell anemia as a result of repeated infarcts to the spleen caused by an overwhelming sickling phenomenon.
(13) Which of the following is most true of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)?
A. It is a rare acquired stem cell disorder that results in hemolysis
B. It is inherited as a sex-linked trait
C. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait
D. It is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait
A. It is a rare acquired stem cell disorder that results in hemolysis
PNH is a rare acquired stem cell disorder that results in abnormalities of the RBC membrane. This causes the RBCs to become highly sensitive to
complement-mediated hemolysis. Because this is a stem cell disorder, abnormalities are seen in leukocytes and PLTs, as well as in RBCs. PNH is characterized by recurrent, episodic intravascular hemolysis, hemoglobinuria, and venous thrombosis.
(14) Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by all of the following except:
A. Hemorrhage
B. Thrombocytopenia
C. Hemoglobinuria
D. Reticulocytopenia
D. Reticulocytopenia
Hemolytic anemia of HUS is associated with reticulocytosis. The anemia seen in HUS is multifactorial, with characteristic thrombocytopenia, schistocytes, and polychromasia commensurate with the anemia
(15) The autohemolysis test result is positive in all of the following conditions except:
A. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
B. HS
C. Pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency
D. PNH
D. PNH
The autohemolysis test result is positive in G6PD and PK deficiencies and in HS but is normal in PNH because lysis in PNH requires sucrose to enhance complement binding. The addition of glucose, sucrose, or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) corrects autohemolysis of HS. Autohemolysis of PK can be corrected by ATP.