Hemolytic Anemia Flashcards
Erythropoietin
Growth factor produced by kidneys that goes to red bone marrow and stimulates hemopoiesis
Changes that occur during erythropoiesis in RBCs
Cellular and nuclear volume of cells decreased (normal center is 1/3 diameter of total size)
Number of polyribosomes decrease while number of hemoglobin increases
- changes from purple to pink/red over time
Mitochondria and other organelles gradually dissolve
What is the normal percentage of reticulocytes in the total RBCs in the blood
1- 2.5%
Types of cell stages in the maturation of a red blood cell
Proerythroblast -> basophilic erythroblast -> polychromatophillic erythroblast -> orthochromatophillic erythroblast -> reticulocyte -> erythrocyte
Normal hematocrit percentages for men and women
Men = 39-39%
Women = 33=43%
Most common acute anemia characteristics
Weakness, fatigue, pale/cyanosis, dyspnea upon mild exertion
Hemolytic anemia broad definition
Group of disorders that all feature accelerated red cell destruction
- shortened life span from 120 days
- increased levels of erythropoietin and increased level of reticulocytes
- hyperplastic erythroids and reticulocytosis (increased level of reticulocytes) are the hallmarks of all hemolytic anemia’s*
How are most red blood cells destroyed in hemolytic anemia’s?
Extravascular hemolysis via uptake from phagocytes in the spleen
- they cant get through the splenic cords and sinusoids
- if chronic, produces splenomegaly*
Common clinical features of extravascular hemolytic hemolysis
Anemia, splenomegaly and jaundice
Decreases in plasma haptoglobin and iron levels
Intravascular hemolysis vs extravascular hemolysis
Intravascular = red cells burst spontaneously within blood
Extravascular = red cells are engulfed via phagocytes (typically in spleen) and destroyed this way.
Common clinical signs of intravascular hemolytic anemia’s
Higher levels of hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinuria and hemosiderinuria
Decreased serum haptoglobin and iron levels
Hereditary spherocytosis
Inherited defects in red blood cell skeletal membranes that lead to the formation of dark, spherical forms of red blood cells
- this form is highly proved to poor circulation movement and absorption via phagocytes in the spleen (EXTRAVASCULAR HEMOLYTIC)
- primary membrane protein that is dysfunctional in this disorder is SPECTRIN and ANKYRIN
- autosomal dominant trait
- clinical symptoms*
- normal anemia symptoms
- increases reticulocyte count
- normal-decreased MCV and hyperplastic RBCs
- gallstones (40-50% of affected people)
- splenomegaly and jaundice
What are the skeletal membrane proteins fo RBCs that are commonly affected during hereditary spherocytosis?
Spectrin, ankyrin, band 3 are the most common 3 proteins affected
Band 4.2, 4.1 proteins are less common but still possible
In all cases, these mutations in the protein(s) causes weakened interactions and causes decreases are-to-volume ratio in the RBC as it transforms into a spherical shape from a biconcave disc
Why is splenectomy so common as a treatment for hereditary spherocytosis?
Spherocytes usually are caught and destroyed in the splenic cords to prevent blockage, so by eliminating the spleen, the anemia will be less severe overall
- there is no drug treatment for hereditary spherocytosis*
Why do blood cells in hereditary spherocytosis lyse spontaneously in hypotonic solutions?
Because of the decreased protein interactions in the RBC membranes, the spherical shape of RBCs cannot expand well in hypotonic solutions, they lose much quicker than the normal biconcave shapes