5. Red Blood Cells Flashcards
What can problems with RBC´s cause?
Hypoxia (deficiency of O2 reaching tissues)
Most important parameters for RBC´s?
What can they evaluate?
RBC count, haemoglobin conc. and/or function.
Evaluate polycythemias caused by diff. ext/int causative agent.
Spectrophotometric Method (Drabkin-method)
- Colour of end product?
- Wave length?
- Calculation?
- What is the measured Hgb conc?
- Which carrier molecule is the Hgb usually bound to?
- What happens with Hgb during intravascular hemolysis?
- Orange
- 540 nm
- (Esample/Estandard) x standard conc. = result
(E=extinction) - The measured Hgb conc is a sum of Hgb molecules from the haemolysed RBCs and the small amount of free Hgb content of plasma
- A carrier protein: haptoglobin
- There is no notable increase in Hgb conc in case of intravascular haemolysis
Oxigen binding capacity of Hgb is ↑ increased by
- decreased ↓ 2,3 DPG level in RBCs,
- decreased ↓ pCO2 level in the blood
- increased ↑ pH of the blood
- decreased ↓ temperature of blood
Oxygen binding capacity of Hgb is ↓ decreased by
- increased ↑ 2,3 DPG level in RBCs,
- increased ↑ pCO2 level in the blood
- decreased ↓ pH of the blood
- increased ↑ temperature of blood
Oxygen saturation (SAT %)
- Definition
- Normal values
- The percentage of oxygenated Hgb molecules compared to the whole amount of Hgb molecules in one unit of blood.
- Arterial blood: 95-99 %, Venous blood: 80-90 %
- What function does Fe´2+ have in Hgb molecules?
- What function does Fe´3+ have in Hgb molecules?
- Which enzyme reduces Fe3+ to Fe2+
- Fe2+:able to take up oxygen molecules in the lungs, carry them, and deliver them to the cells, where they are used in the terminal oxidation phase of the
metabolic process. - Fe3+: Called methaemoglobin. Unable to carry oxygen. 3. Methaemoglobin-reductase enzyme: reduces methhaemoglobin to normal hemoglobin.
- Examples of severe oxidatives
- What is methaemoglobinaemia?
- Which species are sensitive to oxidative damage?
- Nitrites, free radicals, paracetamol, onion.
- Incr methaemoglobin level in the blood. The colour of the blood is dark brown and the mucous membranes are deeply cyanotic.
- Cats and newborn or very young animals of any other species
Rough estimation of Hgb concentration
PCV (l/l)/3 *1000=Hgb (g/l)
Causes of increased ↑ Hgb concentration
- ususally associated with different types of relative dehydration
- absolute polycytaemia
Causes of decreased ↓ Hgb concentration
- ususally associated with relative hyperhydration
- absolute oligocytaemia (anaemia)
Which animals have Hgb conc. which is affected by the age?
Swine: young pigs have much lower Hgb conc, than older ones.
Estimated RBC-count
If we suspect a normal average RBC volume:
(Ht l/l / 5) x 100 = RBC count x 10^12/l
Counting red blood cells is based upon?
What size has RBC´s to be?
- The electric impendance of the particles. Impedance is in correlation with the size.
- 40-100 fl
Normal RBC count
4.5-8 x 10^12/lT/l
- In order to calculate the indices, what do we have to measure?
- Who can use this indices?
- Ht or PCV (hematocrit, packed cell volume), red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration (Hb).
- Humans, dogs and maybe cats. In case of horses, ruminants these are almost useless because of the big variance among parameters of RBCs of different animal individuals, and also within individuals
Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH)
- What does it indicate?
- Calculation?
- Normal value?
- Decreased ↓ MCH
- Increased ↑ MCH
- Average Hb content of RBCs
- Hgb (g/l) / RBC count x 10^12/l = MCH (pg)
- 12-30 pg. In young animals it (and MCV) can be incr to 28-32 pg
- hypochromasia
- hyperchromasia
MCH
- Horse
- Ruminants
- Dog
- Cat
- Horse 12-20
- Ruminants 8-17
- Dog 15-24
- Cat 13-17
(pg)
Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
- What does it indicate?
- Calculation?
- Normal value?
- MCV indicates the average size of the RBCs
- PCV / (RBC count x 1000) = MCV (fl)
- 60-70 fl
MCV
- Horse
- Ruminants
- Dog
- Cat
- Horse 37-58
- Ruminants 42-52
- Dog 63-75
- Cat 40-53
(fl)
- Which species have smaller RBC´s?
2. Which species have bigger RBC´s?
- Cats, horses have smaller RBCs. Adult animals. Japanese Aktia.
- Young RBCs are bigger. New borns. Some poodles.
Some causes of microcytosis
- chronic blood loss
- iron, copper, pyridoxine (vitamine B6) deficieny
- portosystemic shunt