Anemias (lecture 1&2) Flashcards
What is anemia?
Decrease in RBC mass
Changes in red cell mass is inferred from what two things?
Hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit
What is another description of anemia?
Insufficient red cell production and/or oxygen delivery
What are the WHO guidelines for men and women with anemia?
Hemoglobin <13 g/dL in men
Hemoglobin <12 g/dL in women
The kinetics of RBC production and destruction discloses what?
The etiology of anemia
How is anemia graded?
1-4
What is another way to grade anemia?
Mild (1), moderate (2), severe (3), life-threatening (4)
What is the Hgb for mild/grade 1 anemia?
Hgb 10g/dL to lower limit of normal
What is the Hgb for moderate/grade 2 anemia?
Hgb 8.0-9.9 g/dL
What is the Hgb for severe/grade 3 anemia?
Hgb 6.5-7.9 g/dL
What is the Hgb for life-threatening/grade 4 anemia?
Hgb <6.5 g/dL
The RBC comprises what % of whole blood product?
45%
RBC function
Specialized to carry oxygen to tissues and organs, full of hemoglobin, no organelles.
Facilitate CO2 elimination
What is the RBC life span?
100-120 days
How are RBCs destroyed?
Sensecence-hemolysis
Retired RBCs are removed via what?
The RES, reticulate endothelial system
What maintains our iron stores?
Scavenging by hemopexin and Haptoglobin
New RBC production is managed by what?
EPO and HIF
Hemoglobin molecule is comprised of what?
2 alpha-globin chains and 2 beta-globin chains
The alpha-and beta-globin chains are bound to what?
Heme group which contains iron
Hemoglobinopathies can result from what?
Mutations in the amino acid sequence that form the globin chains
Production of RBCs is dependent upon raw materials including what?
Iron, B12, folate
What type of stem cell do RBCs come from?
Pluripotent stem cells
What is a committed cell?
Proerythtoblasts
What type of cells help with Hgb synthesis and accumulation?
Erythroblast
What type of cell expels its nucleus once the Hgb concentration reaches approximately 34%?
Normoblast
Reticulocytes contain what?
Still contain some ribosomes which are degraded by intracellular enzymes 1-2 days after being released into the bloodstream
What happens when there is low blood oxygen?
Liver and kidney release erythropoietin into the blood stream which goes to red bone marrow and tells it to increase number of RBCs to increase the oxygen carrying-capacity
EPO acts as what?
The messenger to the bone marrow to enhance red cell production
EPO increasing RBC production leads to what?
An increase in committed cells (proerythroblasts) and subsequently reticulocytes
Aging RBCs become what?
Less flexible and more fragile
Where are aging RBCs phagocytized?
But he macrophages in the liver, spleen and bone marrow
What happens to the RBCs once they are engulfed by macrophages?
Hemoglobin is broken down into heme group and protein component (globin)
Heme group is broken down into what?
Iron is recycled and remainder gets degraded to bilirubin
What are some ways to evaluate the RBC indices?
MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW
What is the MCV?
Average size of the RBC
What are the classifications of MCV?
Microcytic: <80fl
Normocytic: 80-100fl
Macrocytic: >100fl
What is MCH?
Average weight of hemoglobin in RBCs
What is MCHC?
Average concentration of hemoglobin in RBCs
What are the classifications of MCHC?
Hypochromic, Normochromic
What is RDW?
Calculation of variation in RBC size
When are basophilic stippling seen?
Burn and sepsis
Under normal conditions RBC loss =?
RBC production
When reticulocyte activity is increased in setting of anemia…
It indicates bone marrow is attempting to keep up with RBC loss/destruction
Low reticulocyte activity can indicate what 3 things?
- Marrow infiltration
- Marrow failure
- Deficiency in raw materials
What are some examples of marrow infiltration?
Leukemia, lymphoma, malignancy
What are some examples of marrow failure?
Pure red cell aplasia, MDS, fibrosis
What raw materials can be deficient to cause low reticulocyte activity?
B12, iron, folate
As anemia worsens, what happens to reticulocytes?
Leave the bone marrow sooner and are in circulation before they are mature, polychromatic seen on smear
What are the 4 types of MICROCYTIC anemia?
- Iron deficiency
- Anemia of chronic disease
- Thalassemia
- Siderobalstic
What is the most common cause of anemia world wide?
Iron deficiency anemia
What is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia?
Bleeding, GI or menstrual
What are the different stages of iron deficient anemia?
Depletion of iron stores without anemia, then anemia with nl RBC size, then anemia with reduced RBC size
The average American diet contains how much iron?
10-15 mg, only 10% absorbed
Where is most dietary iron absorbed?
Under acidic conditions in the stomach, duodenum and jejunum
How much iron do males and non-menstruating females need?
1mg daily
How much iron do menstruating females need?
3-4mg/day
How much iron do pregnant females need?
2-5mg/day
Bleeding results in a loss of how much iron?
50mg Fe in 100cc of whole blood
What are the 4 different causes of iron deficiency?
- Deficient dietary intake/decreased absorption
- Increased requirement
- Blood loss
- Other
Deficient dietary intake/ Decreased absorption of iron
Celiac spruce, zinc deficiency
Increased requirement of iron?
Pregnancy, lactation
What “other” can cause iron deficiency?
Hemoglobinuria, idiopathic, iron sequestration
What can iron deficiency anemia initially present as?
Normocytic/normochromic and progress to microcytic/hypochromic
What are some Hx clues to iron deficient anemia?
Diet, Pica, phagophagia, glossitis, mouth soreness, angular chilitis, koionychia, dysphagia
What does the work up for Fe deficient anemia consist of?
Serum iron, TIBC, transferrin, ferritin
What are the signs and symptoms of Fe deficiency anemia?
Easily fatigued, conjunctival pallor, tachy, palpitations, DOE, pica-consumption of non-nutritive substances like ice clay or chalk, smooth tongue, brittle nails, koilonychia, cheilosis
What lab results would show Fe deficient anemia?
Low MCV and MCH, peripheral smear: RBCs hypochromic microcytic
What will iron studies show for someone with Fe deficiency anemia?
Low serum iron, low transferrin saturation, low serum ferritin, high TIBC
Identifying the cause of what is crucial for Fe deficient diagnosis?
BLEED! Where is it coming from?
What is the treatment for Fe deficiency?
Ferrous sulfate 325mg TID, 10mg is absorbed, take with VitC to increase absorption
What are some side effects of Ferrous sulfate?
GI upset, constipation
When do labs and iron studies need to be repeated if pt is put on Ferrous sulfate?
2-3 weeks of therapy-values should normalize but continue treatment for 3-6 mos
What inhibits iron absorption?
Fiber, dairy products, phosphates, and tea (tannins)
Who is parenteral iron an option for with Fe deficiency?
If they do not tolerate PO iron, refractories to PO iron, GI disease which limits absorption, continued blood loss
What are the two parenteral iron options?
Iron sucrose (venofer) given IVP over 2-5 mins OR Sodium ferric gluconate (Ferrlicit) given IV over 30 mins
When should a patient with Fe deficiency be referred?
Not necessary unless the etiology is not clear or pts if refractory to treatment
Anemia of chronic disease-problem with what?
Problem with iron utilization and bone marrow unable to respond to EPO
Anemia of chronic disease is seen with what?
Chronic inflammation, endocrine disorders and infection
What are some examples of chronic diseases causing anemia?
Chronic liver, connective tissue disorders (SLE, RA), AI, hypothyroid, hypopituitarism, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, endocarditis, viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal infections, cancers (liquid and solid tumors)
What is anemic of chronic disease NOT seen in?
DM, COPD, CHF, or HTN
Chronic diseases produce massive amounts of what?
Inflammatory cytokines-IL-6 which stimulate hepatocytes to make massive amounts of hepcidin
What does the massive amounts of hepcidin do?
Prevents the release of iron from macrophages and liver stores (AKA access to iron is obstructed)
“You cant make chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips”
Anemia of chronic disease: no iron because its stuck in storage
How is anemic of chronic disease different than anemia of CKD?
The underlying pathology impairs the kidneys to produce adequate EPO in CKD anemia
What are some lab results for chronic disease anemia?
CBC: normo, low reticulocyte count (low EPO levels), low production, normal or elevated serum ferritin
What will the iron studies show for anemia of chronic disease?
Decrease serum iron, decreased or normal TIBC with low saturation, FERRITIN IS UP OR NORMAL
What other lab levels can be elevated in anemia of chronic disease?
Increased ESR or CRP
How do you treat anemia of chronic disease?
Treat underlying condition, once treat the cause of inflammation, then anemia will resolve
What is EPO
CSF: coronary stimulating factor and ESF: erythropoiesis stimulating factor, stimulate production of RBCs
What is needed before starting EPO therapy?
Get baseline Hct/Hgb, baseline iron studies, ongoing lab monitoring important, educate pt on side effects, dont use in cancer pts if transplant candidate
Initiate EPO if Hgb is what?
<10 g/dL
Resolution of stabilization of anemia can be seen with EPO therapy is Hgb is what?
> 12g/dL or there is a resolution of symptoms
What are the side effects of EPO?
BBW for pts with renal disease, HTN, edema, HA, SOB, stroke or TIA, N/V, arthralgia, myalgia, pruritis/rash, pain at injection site
What is a heterogeneous group of disorders associated with decreased or absent synthesis of alpha and beta globin chains?
Thalassemia
Severe thalassemia is when the disease occurs when?
Early in life
Thalassemia is often confused with what?
Iron deficiency anemia because of decreased MCV
What can be helpful in evaluation of thalassemia?
Hemoglobin electrophoresis
Severity of thalassemia is dependent upon what?
The number of genes with mutations
Alpha thalassemia is primarily due to gene what?
Deletions (16) causing reduced alpha globin chain synthesis
Beta thalassemia is usually caused by what?
Point mutations rather than deletions
Defective globin chains in beta-thalassemia causes what?
Decreased normal Hb production as well as relative excess alpha chains
What type of thalassemia is usually seen in people form southeast Asian and china?
Alpha thalassemia
How many copies of the alpha globin chain is considered normal?
4
If someone with alpha thalassemia only has 3 copies of the alpha globin chain…
They are considered a silent carrier
If someone with alpha thalassemia only has 2 copies then what?
Considered alpha thalassemia trait (aka thalassemia minor)
If someone with alpha thalassemia has 1 copy then what?
Called HbH disease
If someone with alpha thalassemia has 0 copies, then what?
Called hydros fetalis
What symptoms are associated with 3 alpha chains?
Make enough Hb, no symptoms
What symptoms are associated with 2 alpha chains?
Mild symptoms
What symptoms are seen with only 1 copy of the gene?
Ischemia, Target cells, Heinz bodies
0 alpha copies
Fatal
Alpha thalassemia signs and symptoms
Carriers- no symptoms, fatigue, weakness, pallor, splenomegaly
What labs should be drawn to test for alpha thalassemia?
CBC, CMP, smear, Ferritin, Hb Electrophoresis