Chapter 5: Red Blood Cell Disorders Flashcards
Iron absorption occurs in the?
duodenum
Iron consumed in two dietary forms
Heme form(meat) and non-heme form(vegetables)
heme form more readily absorbed
Describe transport and storage of iron
- ) Absorption of iron occurs via enterocytes and their transporters.
- ) Transport into bloodstream occurs through ferroportin(iron MUST be bound while in blood to prevent free radical)
- ) Iron is then bound to transferrin in bloodstream where it is delivered to liver and bone marrow.
- ) Stored intracellular iron is bound to ferritin, which prevents free radical formation
Causes of Microcytic Anemia
Iron deficiency Anemia
Anemia of Chronic Disease
Sideroblastic Anemia
Thalassemia
Anemia of Chronic Disease - Iron locked away in macrophages
Most common nutritional deficiency?
Iron deficiency
Most important regulatory step in iron uptake?
Ferroportin - transport of iron into blood. On enterocyte
TIBC
measures amount of transferrin in blood
Serum Iron
Measure of iron in blood(this iron WILL be bound to transferrin)
% Saturation
percentage of transferrin bound to iron
Serum Ferritin
amount of iron bound in liver and macrophages
Lab findings in first stage of iron deficiency
Storage iron is depleted
This causes decreased ferritin because iron is being picked up from the liver/macrophage. Also causes increased TIBC because liver makes more transferrin to try and pick up more iron
Lab findings in second stage of iron deficiency
Serum iron is depleted
Serum iron goes down(duh). % Sat of transferrin also goes down
Lab findings in third stage of iron deficiency
Normocytic anemia
Bone marrow LIKES pretty red blood cell, but lacks the iron to make enough of them. Therefore it makes less, BUT they are normocytic!
clinical features of iron deficiency
Anemia, Koilonychia, and Pica
Describe RDW and FEP in Iron deficiency anemia…
Increased RDW due to initial normocytic RBC’s mixing with microcytic, so the distribution of width is larger than normal.
FEP, increased free erythrocyte protoporphyrin is due to the lack of heme to bind to it.
Plummer-Vinson syndrome
Esophageal webs, atrophic glossitis(smooth tongue), and iron deficiency anemia
Patient presents with anemia, dysphagia, beefy red tongue
Plummer-Vinson syndrome
esophageal webs atrophic glossitis(smooth tongue) iron deficiency anemia
Anemia of Chronic Disease pathophys
chronic disease –> chronic inflammation –> increased acute phase reactants(Hepcidin)
Hepcidin sequesters iron in storage sites, preventing transfer of iron from macrophages to erythroid precursors.
In addition, Chronic disease suppresses EPO production
Lab findings in anemia of chronic disease
increased ferritin, decreased TIBC
decreased serum iron, decreased %sat
increased FEP
Increased FEP - Heme = Fe+ + Protoporphyrin
Since iron is reduced, but protoporphyrin is normal, there is elevated protoporphyrin
Sideroblastic Anemia pathophys
defective protoporphyrin synthesis.
Heme = Iron + Protoporphyrin
If protoporphyrin is bad, then Heme is bad, which means RBC’s are going to be smaller
Rate limiting step in protoporphyrin synthesis?
Conversion of Succinyl-CoA to Aminolevulinic Acid(ALA) via Aminolevulinic Acid Synthetase(ALAS)
REQUIRES Vitamin B6(pyridoxine)
Final step of protoporphyrin synthesis? Where does it occur?
Ferrochelatase atatches protoporphyrin to iron to make heme.
This occurs in mitochondria
Classic histological finding in sideroblastic anemia? What causes them?
Ringed Sideroblasts
Caused by accumulation of iron in mitochondria surrounding nucleus due to the inability to leave(no functional protoporphyrin to bind to)
What stain marks iron?
Prussian Blue
Congenital form of sideroblastic anemia caused by?
Enzyme defect in ALAS(Aminolevulinic Acid Synthetase) which is the rate limiting step in sideroblastic anemia
Acquired form of sideroblastic anemia caused by?
Alcohol - mitochondrial poison
Lead poisoning - denatures ALAD and ferrochelatase
Vitamin B6 deficiency - ALAS cofactor
What drug commonly causes vitamin B6 deficiency?
Isoniazid treatment
Lab findings in sideroblastic anemia…
Increased iron in mitochondria of erythroblasts will cause eventual free radical damage and cellular lysis. Iron leaks out and is picked up by the bone marrow macrophages(increased ferritin, which decreases TIBC). Some iron also leaks out into blood stream, which increases serum iron and % sat.
Increased ferritin, decreased TIBC
Increased serum iron, increased % sat
What disease are people who are carriers for thalassemia protected against?
Plasmodium falciparum malaria
3 types of hemoglobin
alpha 2, beta 2 - adult (HbA)
alpha 2, gamma 2 - fetal (HbF)
alpha 2, delta 2 - A2 (HbA2)
genetics of alpha thalassemia…
4 alleles on chromosome 16
problem due to gene DELETION
alpha thalassemia common in Asia. Africans?
cis-deletion of alpha allele
trans-deletion seen in Africans
HbH
Beta subunit tetramer
can be seen on electrophoresis
HbBarts
Gamma subunit tetramer
incompatible with life
can be seen on electrophoresis
genetics of beta thalassemia
problem due to gene MUTATION
isolated increase in HbA2
Beta Thalassemia Minor
Beta/Beta+
Hepatosplenomegaly with evidence of hematopoiesis in facial bones and skull
Massive Erythroid Hyperplasia
Due to Beta Thalassemia Major(Beta0/Beta0)
Can also happen in Sickle Cell Anemia
“Crewcut appearance of skull”
Chipmunk like facial structure
Aplastic crisis
due to parvovirus B19 infection in Beta Thalassemia Major patients.