Hematology Flashcards
Erythropoietin
synthesized in peritubular capillaries
Reticulocyte count
measure of effective erythropoiesis; correct for degree of anemia
Extramedullary hematopoiesis
Hematopoiessi outside bone marrow (e.g. spleen)
Newborn physiologic anemia
drop in Hb due to replacement of HbF RBCs with HbA
Pregnancy
Hb and Hct decreased
greater increase in plasma volume than RBC mass
Anemia
normal oxygen saturation and arterial PO2
MCV
average VOLUME of RBCs; useful for anemia classification
MCHC
average Hb concentration in RBCs
When is MCHC decreased? When is MCHC increased?
MCHC
- decreased in microcytic anemias
- increased in spherocytosis
Thalassemias
- decreased in MCV
- increased in RBC count
RDW
RBC size variation
- increased in iron deficiency
- decreased in anemia of chronic disease, sideroblastic anemia
Mature RBC
anaerobic glycolysis; no mitochondria or HLA antigens
Total iron binding capacity is increased
- in iron deficiency
Total binding capacity is DECREASED
in anemia of chronic disease OR sideroblastic anemia
% Saturation
- decreased in iron deficiency or anemia of chronic disease
% Saturation is increased
sideroblastic anemia
Serum ferritin is decreased
- iron deficiency
Serum ferritin is INCREASED
anemia of chronic disease, sideroblastic anemia, normal thalassemia
Microcytic anemia
- seen in iron deficiency (most common cause)
- anemic chronic disease
- thalassemia
- sideroblastic anemia
Most common cause of iron defieicny in a child
Meckel’s diverticulum
Iron deficiency in women < 50
Menorrhagia (heavy bleeding during menses)
Iron deficiency man < 50
Most common cause is peptic ulcer disease
Iron deficiency in men/women > 50
Colon cancer
Stages of iron deficiency
- decreased ferritin, Fe, and % saturation
- increased TIBC, normocytic then microcytic anemia
Anemia of chronic disease
Most common anemia in malignancy and alcoholics
Alpha Thalassemia trait
Autosomal recessive
two alpha globin gene deletions
- normal Hb electrophoresis
HbH disease
- three alpha-globin gene deletions;
- hemolytic anemia
- four Beta-globin genes
Hb Bart’s disease
four alpha globin gene deetions
four gamma globin genes
B- thalassemia minor
Autosomal Recessive
- DNA splicing defect
- increased HbA2 and F
- idecreased HbA
B-thalassemia major
nonsense mutation with stop codon
- hemolytic anemia
- very elevated HbF
- increased HbA2
Sideroblastic anemia
- defect in mitochondrial heme synthesis producing ringed sideroblasts
Causes of sideroblastic anemia
- Alcohol
- Pyroxidine deficiency (may be due to isoniazid tx of TB)
- Lead poisoning
Lead poisoning
- Inhibits ferrochetolase
- ALA Dehydrase (can’t convert ALA to porphobillogen??)
- Ribonuclease
Sx of lead poisoning in children
- Growth retardation
- Pb in epiphyses
- Abdominal colic
- Encephalopathy
Sx of lead poisoning in adult
Peripheral neuropathy
Proximal renal tubule damage (Fanconi’s syndrome)
Lab of Pb poisoning
- Course basophillic stippling RBCs
- decreased MCV
- increase in Pb levels
- increase in ALA
Vitamin B12 sources
Animal products (requires intrinsic factor reabsorption in terminal ileum)
Vitamin B12
transfers methyl group to homocysteine
- involved in proprionate metabolism
- end product of succinyl CoA
R factor
binds with B12 in mouth, removed by pancreatic enymes in small intestine
Pernicious anemia
autoimmune destruction of parietal cells
sx: chronic gastritis in body/fundus, acholrydia
- increase in gastrin
Causes of folate deficiency
- Alcohol (most common cause)
- Poor diet
- Drugs
- Malabsorption
- Pregnancy
- Goat milk
Drugs and Folate deficiency
- Alcohol
- Oral contraceptives
- Phenytoin
- Methrotrexate
- Trimethroprim
- 5-fluorouracil
Intestinal conjugase in folate metabolism
Inhibited by phenytoin
Jejunal uptake of monoglutamate of folate
Inhibited by alcohol and oral contraceptives
Dihydrofolate reductase
inhibited by methotrexate, trimethoprim
Thimydilate synthase
inhibited by 5-fluorouracil
Most common cause of increased serum homocysteine
Folate deficiency
Lab in B12/folate deficiency
- Pancytopenia
- Hypersegmented neutrophils
- Increased in homocysteine
Lab finds unique to B12 deficiency
- increased gastrin (pernicious anemia)
- increased methylmalonic acid
Likely diagnosis: B12 reabsorbed after administration of intrinsic factor.
Pernicious anemia
Likely diagnosis: B12 reabsorbed after administration of antiobiotics
Bacterial overgrowth
Likely diagnosis?
B12 reabsorbed after administration of pancreatic enzyme
Chronic pancreatitis
Hb and Hct after acute blood loss
- Initially normal Hb and Hct
.9% saline uncovers RBC deficit
Aplastic anemia
- Drugs (e.g. phenylbutazone)
- Infection (e.g. parvovirus)
- Benzene
Lab findings for aplastic anemia
- Pancytopenia
- ## Hypocellular bone marrow
Anemia in renal disease
Normocytic
- decreased EPO
Extravascular hemolysis
- Macrophage phagocytosis of RBCs
- Increase in unconjugated bilirubin and urine UBG
Intravascular hemolysis
- Decrease in serum haptoglobin
- Hemoglobinuria
- Hemosideriuria