Erythrocytes Flashcards
Erythron
All erythroid cells in an animal
Erythropoiesis
Part of hematopoiesis
EPO
Produced by fetal liver and adult kidney
- renal peritubular interstitial cells in response to hypoxia
Hypoxia
- anemia
- poor oxygenation of the blood
- decreased renal perfusion
Hypoxia increases ______
EPO
Increasing _______ signals cells to stop dividing
Hemoglobin concentration
- RNA produced for protein synthesis including Hgb
- maturation leads to nucleus extrusion in mammals
- reticulocyte is a erythrocyte without nucleus but with high concentration of RNA
Erythroid destruction in health
Old erythrocytes loose metabolic ability to keep deformability
- expose hidden antigens in the membrane
- naturally occurring antibodies bind to these antigens and mediate erythrocyte destruction
Hemoglobin
Tetramer of 4 globin molecules and bound to an internal heme
- heme has ferrous iron
- if ferric is attached, it cannot transport O2
CO2 from tissues
About 20% bind to Hgb
- rest reacts with H2O to form H and HCO3
- reaction is reversed in the lungs and CO2 is excreted
Porphyria
Increased concentration of porphyrins in erythrocytes, plasma or urine
- can be acquired (lead toxicity), or congenital
Iron
- 50-70% erythrocytes, 25-40% storage, and rest in other molecules
Absorption of iron is regulated by ________
Hepcidin
- produced by hepatocytes
- decreases Fe absorption
- hypoxia decreases hepcidin production (increases Fe absorption in the intestine)
- inflammation increases hepcidin production (help to decrease Fe concentration)
Reticulocytes
Immature erythrocyte with stainable RNA
- New methylene blue stains RNA and mitochondria –> reticulated or punctuated structure look in erythrocytes cytoplasm
- Romanowisky will stain RNA on polychromatophilic erythrocytes (polychromatophils) blue (basophilic)
What are the 2 types of reticulocytes?
Most species all RNA rich erythrocytes will be called reticulocytes
- cats: punctuate (2-6 granules), aggregate (large aggregates)
Species differences with erythropoiesis
- cattle and dogs: starts 3-4 days and peak 7-14 days (blood loss)
- cats: aggregate (start at 2, peak at 4), punctate (peak 7-14 day)
- horses: rarely have circulating reticulocytes
Polychromasia
Increased numbers of basophilic erythrocytes in the blood smear (Romanowsky)
- correspond to reticulocyte counts (dogs and cattle) and aggregate reticulocytes in cats
Erythrogram
Morphologic evaluation
- hematocrit or PCV
- [Hgb] always from erythrocytes, unless hemolysis or Hgb-O2 carriers
- erythrocytes count
Wintrobe’s erythrocytes indices
MCHC (CHCM): average of 100 mL of erythrocytes
- MCV: average erythrocytic volume
- MCH: average [Hgb] per average sized erythrocytes
- RDW: coefficient of variation of erythrocyte volume
- HDW: coefficient of variation of erythrocytes [Hgb]
How is CHCM measured?
Cell counters using laser and is not sensitive to hemolysis
Nucleated erythrocytes
Counted per 100 leukocytes
- if present, is necessary to correct leukocytes count
- reported as #/100 WBC
- so, if nRBC = 50/100WBC it could be a lot or few
- if WBC = 500/uL, nRBC would be 250/uL
- if WBC = 50,000/uL, nRBC would be 25,000/uL
Reticulocytes
Reticulocyte concentration: #/uL or #/L
- reticulocyte percentage or reticulocyte count: # of reticulocytes per 100 erythrocytes
- corrected reticulocyte percentage: calculated number of RP if naimal was not anemic
Discocytes
Mature normal erythrocytes
Rouleaux
Normal in some species (horses and cats)
- caused by charges interactions
- hyperglobinemia or hyperfibrinogenemia
Agglutination
Immune hemolytic anemia, different from rouleaux
- will not form stacks of cells
- saline dispersion test (1 part saline to 1 part of blood will disperse rouleaux, but not agglutination)
- heparin in equine erythrocytes
- RBCs may be counted as large cells