Anaemia Flashcards
What does low vs high reticulocytes mean?
LOW RETICULOCYTES = MARROW PROBLEM = DECREASED PRODUCTION
- Iron, folate, b12
- BM disorder: pure red cell aplasia, MDS, infiltration
- Anaemia of chronic disease
- Kidney disease
INCREASED RETICULOCYTES = MARROW RESPONDING NORMALLY = INCREASED RETICULOCYTES
- Haemolysis
- Thalassemia
- Blood loss
Causes of microcytic, normocytic, macrocytic anaemia
MICROCYTIC (MCV <80) TAILS - thalassemia - anaplastic anaemia - iron deficiency anaemia - lead poisoning - sideroblastic anaemia
NORMOCYTIC (MCV 80-100) - Decreased Production: BM failure Chronic disease - Increased Red Cell Loss: Haemolysis Bleeding (acute)
MACROCYTIC (>100)
MEGALOBLASTIC
- B12 deficiency
- Folate deficiency
NON-MEGALOBLASTIC
- Myelodysplasia
- Liver disease
- Alcohol
- Pregnancy
- Hypothyroidism
Features of the iron cycle
- Duodenal enterocytes (absorption)
- Erythroid precursors (utilisation)
- Reticuloendothelial macrophages (iron storage and recycling)
- Hepatocytes (iron storage and endocrine regulation)
Ferroportin vs Transferrin
- Iron is either stored in enterocytes as ferritin
- FERROPORTIN is located on the BASOLATERAL side of the cell, where iron is transferred to the plasma by ferroportin and reaches its target cells bound to TRANSFERRIN
- TRANSFERRIN CARRIES IRON IN THE PLASMA
Features of hepcidin
- HEPCIDICIN REGULATES FERROPORTIN
- HEPCIDIN BINDS TO FERROPORTIN AND INDUCES ITS DEGRADATION
- SYSTEMIC REGULATION OF IRON ABSORPTION
- Regulated by hypoxia, EPO, HFE, TFR2, HJV, inflammation
- Acute phase reactant largely mediated by IL-6
- Hepcidin correlates with ferritin
IRON DEFICIENCY = HEPCIDIN DECREASE = INCREASED ABSORPTION OF IRON
IRON OVERLOAD = HEPCIDIN INCREASE = DECREASE ABSORPTION OF IRON
NOTE:
- HIF-1a is important for EPO transcription
- It lowers hepcidin and ferritin levels to increase absorption of iron
In haemochromatosis there is decreased levels of hepcidin and thus increased absorption of iron
Investigation findings of iron deficiency anaemia
Blood Film: microcytic hypochromic red cells, pencil cells, anisopoikilocytosis (RBC of different size/shapes).
Iron Studies: Low iron Low ferritin Low transferrin saturation High transferrin TIBC (total iron binding capacity) increased
Iron studies of anaemia of chronic disease
Iron: low - normal
Transferrin: low - normal
Transferrin sat: low- normal
Ferritin: normal to high
Transferrin is DECREASED in inflammation, infection, malignancy, cirrhosis
Structure of normal Hb
(A) Haemoglobin A - 95-98% of adult Hb (2 alpha chains and 2 beta protein chains)
- Alpha chain: chromosome 16
- Beta chain: chromosome 11
Mutations in globin genes results in decrease in globin chain production = thalassaemia
What is thalassaemia?
Autosomal Recessive
- Thalassaemia is the disruption of normal ratio of alpha globin to beta globin chains = REDUCED GLOBIN CHAIN SYNTHESIS
- Unpaired chains precipitate causing destruction to erythroid precursors in bone marrow (ineffective erythopoeisis) and shortened survival in circulation
- Inadequate Hb production
- Distorted a:B ratios
- Ineffective erythropoiesis and haemolysis
Quantitative disorder - Beta thalassemia - Alpha thalassemia Qualitative diorder HbS: sickle cell disease
Alpha Thalassaemia Syndromes
- 2 alpha genes on each chromosome 16 = 4 genes in total
(a) Silent Carrier: aa/a- = normal Hb, normal MCV
(b) Minor: aa/– or a-/a-: mild microcytic anaemia
Alpha thalassemia trait = A loss of two of the four alpha-globin alleles
(c) HbH disease: a-/– = moderate microcytic anaemia
Splenomegaly + iron overload
Elevated HbH inclusion bodies
(d) Hydrops fetalis, severe in utero anaemia: –/–
HbA2 NORMAL
Note: B thalassemia - HbA2 ELEVATED
Beta thalassaemia Syndromes
- Beta globin gene mutations lead to impaired production of beta globin chains
- Classified according to degree of reduction
B+ = some protein produced
B0 = no protein produced - Severity of thalassaemia syndrome depends on nature of beta globin gene mutation
HbA2 (2 alpha, 2 delta) ELEVATED
Elevated HbF
TARGET CELLS
(a) MAJOR (transfusion dependent) = B0/B0 or B0/B+ =
Severe microcytic anaemia
(b) INTERMEDIATE (non-transfusion dependent) = B+/B+ = Moderate microcytic anaemia
(c) MINOR (trait/carrier) = B/B0, B/B+ = mild microcytic anaemia
Investigations and Management of thalassemia
INVESTIGATIONS
- Peripheral blood smear: HbH inclusion bodies, target cells, teardrop cells, anisopoikilocytosis
- Confirmatory: Hb electrophoresis
Hbh disease alpha thalassemia: low MCV, normal HbA2, normal HbF, HbH present
beta thalassemia: low MCV, high HbA2, high HbF, absent HbH
- Transfusion therapy in thalassaemia major and some thalassaemia intermedia (stressful periods) to minimise complications of anaemia and suppress extra-medullary haematopoiesis
- Management excess iron and complications (cardiopulmonary, liver, endocrine, bone health)
- Folic acid
- LUSPATERCEPT - IMPROVES RBC MATURATION
Structural variants of haemoglobin
Haemoglobin S/C/E are the most common
Hb S = sickle cell disease
Features and management of haemoglobin S disease
Haemoglobin S (sickle cell disease)
- An abnormal haemoglobin from POINT MUTATION IN THE BETA GENE = substitution of a VALINE FOR GLUTAMIC ACID IN 6TH AMINO ACID OF BETA GLOBIN GENE)
- Resulting Hb TETRAMER (alpha2/betaS2) becomes poorly soluble when deoxygenated
- Potential life threatening complications from VASO-OCCLUSION in multiple organs - can cause INFARCTION in spleen/marrow/brain/kidney
HbS ELEVATED
BLOOD FILM
- Sickle cells
- Howell jolly bodies
- Target cells
- Achanthocytes
MANAGEMENT
- Avoid triggers and complications, eg: pain, infection
- Hydroxyurea - increases HbF percentage, protective against sickling
- Sickle Crisis: hydration, analgesia, O2, thrombo-prophylaxis, red cell exchange
- Immunisations
Drug induced macrocytic anaemia (megaloblastic)
Anti-Folate Drugs: methotrexate, trimethoprim
DNA Synthesis: azathioprine, hydroxyurea, gemcitabine
Reduced Absorption: metformin, PPI, alcohol, phenytoin, isoniazid
NOTE: alcohol only affects folate, NOT B12
Causes of macrocytic anaemia
Megaloblastic: folate deficiency, B12 deficiency
Non-Megaloblastic: hypothyroidism, alcohol, myelodysplasia, liver disease, pregnancy
Relationship between homocysteine and folate/b12
Folic acid (folate) is one of the ‘B’ vitamins that is needed to metabolise homocysteine. Vitamin B12, another B vitamin, helps keep folate in its active form, allowing it to keep homocysteine levels low. Therefore, people who are deficient in these vitamins may have increased levels of homocysteine
High homocysteine = vitamin b12 /folate deficiency
Absorption of B12
- Gastric parietal cells produce intrinsic factor
- IF-B12 complex is absorbed in the terminal ileum