Anaemia Flashcards
What is Erythropoiesis
Erythropoiesis is the production of RBCs in the bone marrow.
- It is dependent on the release of erythropoietin (EPO) from the kidneys
- EPO is synthesised in the renal cortex by interstitial cells in the peritubilar capillary bed
- Stimuli for EPO release include:
- Hypoxaemia (decreased arterial PO2), severe anaemia, leftward shift on O2 dissociation curve, high altitude, and decreased 02 saturation (Sa02; CO poisoning, methemoglobinemia)
- Increased 02 content suppresses EPO release (negative fedback; eg, polycythemia vera)
- EPO is ectopically produced in renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Haematopoiesis - where is this in foetal development
- During foetal development, haematopoiesis is 1st established in the yolk sac mesencyme and later moves to the liver and spleen and then to the bony skeleton
- From infancy to adulthood, there is progressive restriction of productive marrow to the xial skeleton and proximal ends of the long bones.
What are reticulocytes?
- Reticulocytes are oyung RBCs containing RNA filaments in the cytoplasm
- Newly released RBCs from the bone marrow
- Peripheral blood markers of effective erythropoiesis in a perosn with anaemia
- Effective rythropoiesus refers to an appropriate bone marrow response to anaemia
- Correlates with an increase in the synthesis or release of reticulocytes from the bone marrow
- Reticulocytes are easily identified in the peripheral blood with supravital stains. Supravotal stains detect te threadlike RNA filaments in the cytoplasm of immature RBCs
- Reticulocyte becomes a mature RBC in 24hours. Maturaiton occurs with the help of splenic macrophages (MPs)
Describe a reticulocyte count and the normal.
- Reticulocyte count is reported as a percentage (normal is 0.5%-1.5%)
- A reticulocyte count is used to determine the number and/or percentage of retiuclocytes in the peripheral blood in order to evaluate disorders that affects RBCs such as anaema or bone marrow disorders. The purpose of the reticulocyte ocunt is to evaluate te bone marrow (BM) response to anaemia.
- Using the percentage of reticulocyte count in anaemia alone gives a falsy increased percentage.
Reticulocyte index
- A clinician must correct the percentage of reticulocytes for the degree of anaemia; called the reticulocyte index.
- Reticulocyte index = (actual haematocrit/45) x reticulocyte count. 45 represents normal Hct
WHat does a reticulocyte index of <2% mean in anaemia
- Reticulocyte index of <2% indicates that there is a poor BM response to the anaemia. This is ineffetive erythropoiesis
- Examples of ineffective erythropoiesus are: Untreated irod deficiency, anaemia of chronic disease, folic acid deficiency and aplastic anaemia.
Types of anaemiaes
Extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH)
- Extramedullar haematopoiesis (EMH) = refers to RBC, WBC and platelet production that occurs outside the confines of BM.
- COmmon sites for EMH are the liver and spleen
- Causes:
- Intrinsic BM disease (myelofibrosis..BM replaced by fibrous tissue)
- Accelerated erythropoiesus (eg, severe haemolysis in sickle cell disease):
- Eerythroud hyperplasia expands BM cavity
- A radiograph of the skull shows a “hair-on-end” appearance caused by expansion of the BM in the skull bones by RBC progenitors.
- EMH produces hepatosplenomegaly (enlargement of liver and spleen).
Locations of active marrow growth in foetus and adult
What is a Complete Blood Cell Count and Other studies
- Haemoglobin (Hb), Hct, RBC count
- RBC indices, RBC distribution width (RDW)
- WBC count with a differential count and platelet count
- Evaluation of the peripheral blood morphology
Factors that affect normal range of Hb, Hct, RBC are age, sex and pregnancy
Anaemia on a FBC
- Anaemia = decrease in Hb, Hct or rbc concentration from any cause
- Sa02 and Pa02 (partial pressure of arterial PO2) are normal. o2 exchange in the lungs is normal; therefore, the Pa02 and Sa02 are normal
- 02 content is decreased in anaemia: 02 contnt = (Hb g/dl x1.34) x Sa02 + Pa02 x0.002. If Hb decrease the O2 content must also be decreased
- Mechanisms include:
- Decreased production of RBCs (hypo-proliferative)
- Increased destruction of RBCs (hemolysis)
- Acute blood loss (haemorrhage)
- Anaemia is a sign of underlying disease rather than specific diagnosis
- General clinical findings:
- Fatige, dyspnoea with exertion, inability to concentrate and dizziness
- Pulmonary valve flow murmur caused by decreased blood viscosity. Indicates severe anaemia (<5 g/dl)
- Pallor of the skin, conjuctivae and palmar creases. Incates severe is <5g/dl
- High output cardiac faulure. Caused by decreased blodo viscosiy in severe anaemia (<5 g/dl)
RBC indices
- Mean corpuscular volume - average volume of RBCs.
- Microcytic anaemia MCV<80 um^3
- Normocytic 80-100
- Macrocytic MCV >100
- Mean corpuscular Hb concentration (MCHC) - avergae Hb conc in RBCs
- Decreased - decreased RBC synthesis of Hb (eg, iron def anaemia) and the central area of palor in a RBC is greater than normal because there is less Hb in the cell, called hypochromasia.
- Increased- presence of spherical RBCs which is in hereditary spherocytosis (HS). Mature RBCs are biconcave disks. Spherocytes lack the central area of pallor that is present in mature RBC which is hyperchromasia.
- RDW - variation in size of peripheral blood RBCs
- Variation in size - anisocytosis. RDW only signfiicant if increased.
- RDW increased- if RBCs not unfiromly same size eg microcytic and normocytic mix
- Most useful in distinguishing iron deficiency (increased RDW- ue to normocytic and microcytici) from other causes of microcyctic anaemia (RBcs usually mor eunifrom and rdw normal eg in anaemia of chronic disease and mil thalassemia.
Iron metabolism
Characteristics of mature RBCs
- Biconcave disk - enhances gas exchange and alongside flexible cytoskelton allows RBC to deform readily so they can squeeze through cpaillaries. Electrolyte and water content and lipud composition of cell membrane affects shape
- Lack mitochondria - so no citric acid cycle, B-oxidation of fatty acids or ketone body synthesis
- Mature RBCs lack nucleus - cant synthesis DNA/RNA
- Use anaerobic glycolysis as primary source of ATP - lactic acid is end porduct of anaerobic metabolism which is converted by liver into glucose (gluconeogenesis) and then glucose used by RBCs to synthesise ATP
- RBCs use pentose phosphate pathway - synthesised glutathione (gsh) which is an antioxidant that converts hydrogen peroxide to water and neutralises acetaminophen free radicals. Hyrogen peroxide alsoproduce of oxidative metabolus in every living cell so this pathway must be functional to prevent destruction of RBCs by hydrogen peroxide.
- Mature rBCs use the methaemoglobin (etHb) reductase pathway: Heme iron in methemoglobin is oxidised Fe3+ so cant bind 02. Methmoglobin reductae system converts oxdised iron back to its ferrous state so it can bind o2.
- Mature RBcs use Luebering-Rapoport pathway: this synthesis 2,3 biphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG), which is required for rightward shifting of oxygen dissociation curve (ODC), leading to release of 02 to tissue
- Mature RBCs lack human leukocyte antigens (HLAs) on their membranes
- Fate of senescent RBCs: normal RBC life span is 100 to 120days in peripheral blood. Senescent RBCs are phagocytosed in the cords of Billroth by splenic MPs. Heme degredation by the splenic MPs producs unconjugated bilirubin (UCB). Most of the UCB that is normally present in blood derives from destruction of senescent RBCs.
WBC count and differential in FBC
- A 100- cell differential count divides leukocytes by percentage (eg, neutrophils, lymphocytes) and further subdivides neutrophils into segmented and band neutrophils
- Multiplication of the percentage and the total WBC count gives the absoloute number of a particular leukocyte. Eg: lymphocytes 30%, total WBC count 10,000/mm^3; absoloute lymphocyte count is 0.3x10000=3000 cells/mm^3
Platelet count in FBC
- Platelets lack a nucleus (anucleate)
- Derived from cytoplasmic budding of megakaryocytes in BM
- Unlike mature RBCs, they have HLAs on their membranes
Relative frequencies of anaemia
Iron studies
Serum iron in a FBC
- Iron bound to transferrin in the circulating blood - Transferrin is ysnthesised by the liver and binds iron for transport in the bloodstream
- Serum iron shoidl be normally abotu 100ug/dl
- Iron shown coming in tot MPs (macrophages) in in Figure A is from the degredrion of senescent MPs not transferrin. The amoutn of iron coming into the MP is equal to the amount of iron leaving MP to bidn with transferrin
- Decreased serum iron = iron deficieny adn ACD
- Increased serum iron occurs in overload diseases such as sideroblastic anaemias and hemochromatosis.
Serum total iron-binding cabaity (TIBC)
- Correlaes with th econcerntration of transferrin, the binding protein of iron:
- Height of column in figure A correlates with serum transferrin and TIBC
- Normal TIBC is about 300ug/Dl
- Relationship of transferrin synthesis with ferritin stores in MP
- Inverse relationshiop between transferrin synthesis and ferritin stores in MP
- Decreased ferritin stores -> increased liver synthesis of transferrin. Increases in transferrin and TIBC is present in iron deficiency
- Increased ferritin tores -> decrease liver synthesis of transferrin. Decreased in transferrin and tIBC occur in ACD and iron overload disease
- Primayr function of transferrin comes from BM MPs and from the duodenum, the primary site for iron absorption.