Erythroid disorders Flashcards
How do we call high RBC production?
polycythemia
How do we call low RBC production?
anemia
What are 2 possible causes of anemia?
decreased production or decreased lifespan of RBCs
What is Counter principle?
Method to count RBCs.
Cells suspended in cuvette; in which there is another cuvette. Communication between the 2 is made through a small aperture
There is an electrode in both cuvettes and a vacuum
Cells will enter the smaller chamber in the middle causes change in current resistance between 2 chambers
Change in current is proportional to the number of cells passing through
Particles, liquid and electric current are pumped through an orifice of an exact diameter
The particles cause changes in the electric current and these changes are monitored to count and size particles
Why do males have a higher Hct?
Androgens have a direct effect on RBC production in the bone marrow thus males have a higher Hct
How is a reticulocyte count performed?
Young RBCs that still contain a lot of mRNA; stains blue under microscope because of RNA
They are larger than RBCs thus will increase the MCV.
What is anemia?
Hgb low
What is polycythemia?
Hct > normal
What is erythrocytosis?
count > normal
What is macrocytosis?
MCV > normal
What is microcytosis?
MCV < normal
What is MCV? What types of conditions can be determined with it?
MCV = hematocrit/RBC count (mean volume)
Normocytic, microcytic, macrocytic, anisocytosis
*Anisocytosis = medical term meaning that a patient’s red blood cells are of unequal size
What is mean corpuscular hgb?
MCH = mean mass of hemoglobin in RBC
what is mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration? What types of conditions can be determined with it?
MCHC= mean concentration of hemoglobin in rbc
- Normochromic, hyperchromic, hypochromic
What is bilirubin? how is it made? what are its types?
Pigment produced by macrophages through heme degradation
Made by reduction of biliverdin IXalpha by NADPH and biliverdin reductase
2 forms = conjugated and unconjugated
- Conjugated: done by liver
- Unconjugated: means increased RBC destruction, produced by macrophages
Is bilirubin water-soluble? How is it transported ?
No
It is transported by albumin to the liver where it is made soluble by the 2 UDP-glucuronic acid enzyme
Then goes to the intestines as bile
Urobilinogen formed by bacteria –> either stercobilin in feces or reabsorbed and excreted as urobilin in urine
What is an increase in RBC concentration and what are the types?
Polycythemia
2 major categories:
Primary polycythemia
Secondary polycythemia
Describe primary polycythemia
intrinsic to red blood cell precursor
Acquired (often with increased age): Polycythemia vera (PCV)
Acquired somatic mutations and bone marrow stem cells
What is polycythemia vera?
a stem cell disorder characterized as a panhyperplastic, malignant, and neoplastic marrow disorder
Often mutation in JAK2 kinase (V617F) (most common; 99% of cases; downstream of EPO receptor), common
V617F is the autoinhibitory domain of the Jak2 kinase
Constitutively active jak2 kinase tricks cells into thinking there is plenty of EPO around
Describe secondary polycythemia
Acquired
- high altitude (hypoxic environment)
- renal artery stenosis (local hypoxia)
- renal cell carcinoma (inappropriate EPO production)
- drug associated (EPO, androgen administration)
- Genetic
- Mutations in EPO-R or O2 sensing pathways (VHL)
Your body tricks your kidney into thinking there is a lack of oxygen in the body = high epo production