Anemia and the Micronutrients: B12, Folate and Iron Flashcards
Reasons behind increased MCV
B12 deficiency folate deficiency Drugs reticulocytosis liver disease hypothyroidism
reasons behind normal MCV
bleeding hemolysis marrow failure renal disease endocrine disease anemia of chronic disease
reasons behind decreased MCV
Fe2+ deficinecy
Thalassemia
Lead poisoning
Anemia of chronic disease.
what part of GI tract is folate absorbed? B12?
folate: jejunum
B12, Mg2+, Ca2+ and cobalamine: ileum.
everything else ex/ fat soluble vitamins, iron, zinc, water soluble vitamins etc get absorbed in duodenum and jejunum.
where is most of the body’s iron
presnt in Hb in circulating red cells, some in macrophages
the macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system store iron released from Hb as ___ and ___
ferritin and homosiderin
daily internal requirements of iron for production of Hb are _____ per day
20-25mg/day from recycling from red cell destruction and from releases from tansferring (food)
liver iron stores 1g (less in menstruating women and growing children)
where can you find metabolically active iron
- Hb (2g)
- seron iron bound to a protein TRANSFERRIN in blood (3mg)
- Tissue iron: in cytochromes and enzymes (8mg)
- Myoglobin (oxygen reserve in muscles (130mg)
what is storage iron
ferritin: found in blood, tissue fluids and cells. When tested, it tells us a good total store of Fe stores in the body
Haemosiderin: found in macrophages and assessed by staining bone marrow.
inorganic vs organic iron sources from diet
inorganic: non-heme iron like lentils. harder to absrob iron from.
organic: beef
where is iron mainly absorbed in the body
in the duodenum, whereas b12 is in the ileum and folate in the jejunum.
the quantity of iron absorbed is regulated by ___
enterocytes. Haem iron enters the enterocyte through different processes than inorganic non heme iron.
from the lumen, Fe3+ gets converted to Fe2 + and absrobed into the enterocyte. Fe2+ can either be stored as ferritin or can make it’s way into the blood stream where it binds with transferritin for transport.
Only Fe2+ can be absorbed!
daily iron requirement
10-15mg/day (5-10% absorbed)
- a western diet typically contains about 15 mg of iron. 30% of dietary iron is promptly absorbed via its own transport mechanis,
- a heme iron transport HEME CARRIER PROTEIN 1 (HCP1) has been found in the apical brush border of the duodenal enterocyte.
- the remaining iron is poorly absorbed with less than 10% being taken into mucosal cells.
Typically, at physiological pH, ferrous dietary iron (Fe2+) is rapidly oxidized to the insoluble ferric (Fe3+) form. How does it get converted back to fe2+ so enterocytes can absorb them into Gi cells?
gastric acid lowers the pH in the proximal duodenum, converting ferric to ferrous enhancing uptake. Fe3+ to Fe2+ can also be done by a reductase on the brush border.
T/F: Heme carrier protein 1 on the apical brush border of the duodenal enterocyte also transports Fe2+
false. it only transports heme iron. Fe2+ is absorbed in the enterocytes/transported into the cell through divalent metal transferase1 (DMT1) receptor.
competitors or iron absorption
lead, cobalt, strontium, manganese, zinc.
facilitators of iron absorption
ascorbate, citrate, amino acids, iron deficiency.
inhibitors of iron absorption
plant phytates, soil, clay, antacids. tes coffee/phenolic compounds.
Fe2+ enters the enterocyte from the lumen via ___ transporter. from there it can be stored as __ or used. the Fe2+ in the enterocyte can be transported into the blood tream via ___ and ___ (needs Cu2+ for activation), where it can go around th ebody and into macrophages for storage as ferriten or where it can be bound to _____ on erythroid progenitors for Hb production.
Fe2+ enters the enterocyte from the lumen via DMT1 transporter. from there it can be stored as __ or used. the Fe2+ in the enterocyte can be transported into the blood tream via FERROPORTIN and HEPHAESTIN (needs Cu2+ for activation), where it can go around th ebody and into macrophages for storage as ferriten or where it can be bound to TRANSFERRING on erythroid progenitors for Hb production.
see slide 20 on lecture notes.
why can too much hepcidin affect the iron stores or Hb production in your body
beacuse it can inhibit ferroportin, which is the transporter that facilitates the movmenet of Fe2+ from the enterocytes to the blood stream. It can also cause any Fe2+ to be cloistered in the macrophages rather than being released to erythroid progenitors for Hb production.
iron deficiency anemia is characterized by a ___ MCV
decreased. microcytic anemia.
etiologies behind iron deficiency anemia
- decreased iron intake
- decreaed iron absorption (celiac, Chrohns (B12) deficiency)
- increased iron LOSS: Chronic bleeding
- menorrhagia/ pregnancy
- peptic ulcer
- stomach ulcer
- inflammatory bowel disease (UC)
- intestinal cancer
- haemorrhoids (uncommon)
- Blood donation - increased iron requirements (pregnancy, lactation.
- any surgery that results in removal of partial duodenum like gastric bypass will put someone at risk for iron deficiency
major causes of microcytic anemia
- Fe deficiencies based on flaws of intake/absorption/loss/dif iron requirements etc.
- thalassemia
- lead poisoning
- inflammation anemia
small RBC always indicates a ___ maturation defect associated with a decrease in __ synthesis
indiactes a cytoplasmic maturation defect associated with a decrease in Hb synthesis.
cuases include: Fe deficinecy, thalassemia, lead poisoning, anemia of inflammation
clinical presentation of Fe deficinecy
- PALLOR in the conjunctiva
- clubbing of nails Koilonychia
- fatigue and irritability
- angular stomatitis (sore on corner of lips)
- blue sclera
- pica
lab tests/investigations that may indicate microcytic/Fe deficient anemia
Ferritin: - Serum iron: total iron binding capacity (TIBC): - transferrin Saturation: - Soluble transferring receptor:
- Ferritin: usually low in Fe deficiency
- Serum iron: low
total iron binding capacity (TIBC): HIGH - transferrin Saturation: LOW
- Soluble transferring receptor: elevated
- Gold standard is bone marrow biopsy (RARE)