245/246: Congenital and Acquired Hemolytic Anemias Flashcards
How long do red blood cells usually live?
90-120 days
What is the difference between extracorpuscular and intracorpuscular hemolysis?
-
Extracorpuscular = something is attacking the RBC
- Immunologic (warm or cold antibodies)
- Mechanical
- Infectious (malaria or babesiosis)
- Hypersplenism
-
Intracorpuscular = Something is wrong with the RBC
- Hemoglobinopathies
- Enzyme defects
- Membrane abnormalities (spur cell anemia or PNH)
What hemolytic anemia will demonstrate absent CD55 and CD59 expression on flow cytometry?
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Acquired disorder of stem cells. Lose PIG-A → normally anchors proteins to the lipid bilayer→ lose membrane associated proteins→ RBCs are destroyed by complement-mediated lysis
Which protein is deficient in Southeast Asian Ovalocytosis?
Band 3
Rigidity of of the RBC membrane.
No real clinical symptoms
What is the only FDA-approved, commonly used drug to treat sickle cell disease?
What is its effect?
Hydroxyurea
Results in increased fetal Hb
Fetal Hb does not sickle
What is the treatment for spur cell anemia?
Liver transplant
- Spur cell anemia is caused by liver disease
- -> Membrane defect results in excess cholesterol
- -> Fragility
- Achanthocytosis
- Severe anemia and splenomegaly
List 3 mechanisms by which drugs can induce hemolytic anemia
-
Haptan-induced
- Antibody binds to the drug, that is bound to the RBC
- Penicillin, cephalosporin, tetracyclinc
-
Immune-complex
- Antibody binds to the drug-RBC complex
- Quinine, quinidine, sulfonamides
-
Autoimmune
- Drug induces formation of antibodies against RBCs
- Drug does NOT need to be bound to RBC
- Stopping the drug will not stop the hemolysis immediately
These are all warm hemolytic anemias
Which inherited hemolytic anemia is most common?
Which protein is most commonly mutated in this disorder?
Hereditary spherocytosis
- Deficiency in membrane proteins
- Ankyrin >> spectrin > band 3
- -> mechanical instability, membrane loss
- Spheroid, fragile RBCs
What is the most common cause of death in children with sickle cell disease worldwide?
Infection
- People with SCD are more susceptible to infection by encapsulated bacteria (due to functional asplenia)
- Viral infections (parvovirus) may trigger an aplastic crisis
What is the mechanism of hemolysis in hereditary spherocytosis?
Fragile RBCs are trapped in the spleen
-> Hemolysis
Where in the body is vaso-occlusion due to RBC sickling most likely to occur?
Post-capillary venules
- This is where RBCs have the least oxygen => most prone to sickling
- Also, these vessels are small
- Sickling -> log jam -> more sickling -> :(((
List two medical complications associated with sickle cell trait
(one mutated copy, one normal copy)
Increased risk of:
- Chronic kidney disease
- Venous Thromboembolism
Previously thought that sickle cell trait did not cause any problems and was protective against malaria, but looks like it may confer an increased risk of these conditions in adults. Not clinically significant for kids?
What kind of immunoglobulin (IgM or IgG) is responsible for warm and cold hemolytic anemia?
- Warm: IgG (or complement)
- Cold: IgM
List 3 important proteins found in the red blood cell membrane
-
Band 3
- Transfers
- Binds cytoplasmic components of the RBC membrane
- South Asian Ovalocytosis
-
Spectrin
- Peripheral
- Supports the lipid bilayer
- Hereditary Elliptocytosis
-
Ankyrin
- Peripheral
- Links spectrin and Band 3
- Most common form of Hereditary Spherocytosis
Which virus may lead to an aplastic crisis in patients with sickle cell disease?
Parvovirus
What would you suspect if a patient has warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia with low reticulocytes?
Suspect secondary process, like iron deficiency
How is G6PD deficiency inherited?
X-linked recessive mutation in G6PD gene
Heterozygous 46,XX individuals may have variable expression
List 4 possible genotypes that can result in sickle cell disease
- Hb S/S (most severe clinical disease)
- Hb S/Beta null
- Hb S/C
- Hb S/Beta (+) (least severe)
Wild type is Hb A/A
Basically, any combination of 2 non-A alleles can result in sickled red blood cells