Heme Flashcards
Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
-caused by shiga toxin producing bacteria (EHEC, shigella)
-features: prior bloody diarrheal illness, hemolytic anemia with schistocytes, thrombocytopenia (low platelets), acute kidney injury
-normal coagulation studies
Toxin damages capillaries, leading to platelet activation and formation of microemboli, that shear RBCs and cause schistocytes.
Causes low haptoglobin.
Dec. hemoglobin and platelet count.
Inc. lactate dehydrogenase, unconjugated bili, BUN, and creatinine.
Schistocytes
- fragmented RBCs
- diagnostic of a traumatic mechanism and indicate either microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (ex. HUS, TTP, DIC) or mechanical damage
Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia
-mechanism: formation of fibrin (protein) mesh in vessels that physically cuts the RBCs
-causes RBC schistocytes
-ex. HUS, DIC, TTP
May have dec. platelets due to micro vascular thrombi formation
Pernicious Anemia
- often due to B12 deficiency/lack of intrinsic factor
- fewer but larger RBCs
- antibodies to intrinsic factor
Effects of CO Poisoning
- inc. carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO)
- no change in paO2 (amount of dissolved oxygen in plasma)
- dec. O2 content and O2 carrying capacity
Von Willebrand Disease
- most common inherited bleeding disorder
- autosomal dominant
- variable penetrance
- absence of von willebrand factor causes impaired platelet function and coagulation issues due to dec. factor VIII activity
- inc. PTT (may be unaffected) and inc. bleeding time
Hemophilia A
- x linked
- deficiency of factor 8
- prolonged PTT
Hemophilia B
- x linked
- deficiency of factor IX
- prolonged PTT
Vitamin K
- required for factors II, VII, IX, and X
- prolonged PT and PTT
T-ALL
- most often in teenagers
- immature T cells migrate to thymus and cause mass
- acute
Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia
- chronic
- lymph cells- B cells
- smudge cell (ruptured fragile B cells on microscopy)
- generalized lymph adenopathy (small lymphocytic lymphoma)
- can lead to diffuse B cell lymphoma (actual mass of B cells in lymph node)
- hypogammaglobulinemia (too few antibodies)
- dysfunctional antibodies cause autoimmune hemolytic anemia (they attack RBCs)
Granulocytes
- eosinophil
- neutrophil
- basophil
- mast cell
Polycythemia Vera
- Myeloproliferative disorder with uncontrolled erythrocyte production (RBC cancer)
- inc. in all cell lines but esp. erythrocytes (high hematocrit, low EPO)
- JAK2 mutation (non receptor tyrosine kinase associated with the erythropoietin receptor)
- pruritis when hot
- inc. bone marrow sensitivity to growth factors
- tx: blood letting
Methemoglobinemia
- dusky discoloration of skin
- unable to carry oxygen
- partial pressure of O2 (P02) will remain unchanged (measure of dissoved O2 and unrelated to hemoglobin)
- can be caused by poisoning with nitrites, drugs
Carbon monoxide affects hemoglobin by:
Competitively binding to heme.
Von Willebrand Disease
Autosomal dominant. Causes impaired platelet adhesion with exposed dcollagen. VW also acts as a carrier for factor VIII.
Prolonged PTT and bleeding time.
Sx: heavy periods, and nose bleeds.
Haptoglobin
Binds free hemoglobin and thus haptoglobin is decreased when there is RBC damage.
Rouleaux Cells
- stacked RBCs
- think multiple myeloma
Basophilic Stippling
- reticulocytosis or lead poisoning
- cytoplasmic remnants of RNA
Howell Jolly Bodies
- remnants of nuclear chromatin
- severe anemia or pts without spleen
Ring Sideroblast
- iron trapped in mitochondria
- form ring around nucleus
- seen in sideroblastic anemia
- seen in bone marrow not peripheral blood smear
Heinz Bodies
- denatured hemoglobin (unstable heme like in H disease thalassemia)
- can be seen in G-6-PD deficiency (African and Mediterranean type)
- visualized with supravital stains (methylene blue, crystal violet)
- eaten by macrophages to form bite cells
Causes of Microcytic Anemia (
- iron deficiency
- thalassemia
- anemia of chronic dz
- siderblastic anemia
- lead poisoning
Causes of Macrocytic Anemia (>100 fL/cell)
- megaloblastic anemia (B12 def, folate def)
- alcoholic liver dz (neutrophils 3-5 on peripheral blood smear)
Causes of Normocytic Anemia with low Reticulocyte Count
- marrow failure
- aplastic anemia
- myelofibrosis
- leukemia/metastasis
- renal failure
- anemia of chronic disease
- should be inc. erythrocytes in anemia (check bone marrow)
Causes of Normocytic Anemia with High Reticulocyte Count
- sickle cell
- G6PD deficiency
- hereditary spherocytosis
- autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Fe Deficiency Anemia
- dec MCV
- dec MCHC
- dec. RDW
- inc. free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP)
- oral apithelial atrophy if Plummer Vinson syndrome present
- koilonychia (spoon nails)
- pica (eating stuff)