Hemolytic Anemias and Inherited Erythrocyte Disorders Flashcards
What are the general characteristics of hemolytic anemia?
RBC destruction, shortened RBC survival, increased erthyropoietin, increased bone marrow RBC production , and accumulation of RBC breakdown products
What is the average lifespan of an RBC?
120 days
What are the classifications of hemolytic anemia based on sites of hemolysis?
Intravascular and extravascular
Where does extravascular hemolytic anemia take place?
Phagocytosis of erythrocytes by macrophages within the spleen, liver, and bone marrow
What are the general mechanisms of intravascular hemolysis?
Immune-mediated, toxins or pathogens, mechanical damage
What happens to Hb once it is released from a hemolyzed RBC?
It is bound to haptoglobin and te complex is metabolized by the reticuloenothelial system
Beside Hb, what measurable protein is released from destroyed RBCs?
Lactate Dehydrogenase
How does hemolytic anemia affect levels of free haptoglobin?
Free haptoglobin decreases
What is hemoglobinemia?
The presence of Hb-dimers due to a concentration of free Hb that exceeds the saturation of haptoglobin
How is heme eliminated from the body?
The spleen reticuloendothelial cells break down heme into indirect (unconjugated bilirubin, which is conjugated in the liver and excreted in urine and feces
True or False: Unconjugated bilirubin is an abnormal lab finding?
True
What is the lab evidence of intravascular hemolysis?
Schistocytes, agglutination, increased lactate dehydrogenase, decreased haptoglobin, increased free Hb, increased urine Hb or hemosiderin
What is the lab evidence of extravascular hemolysis?
Microspherocytes, slightly increased lactate dehydrogenase, slightly decreased haptoglobin, increased indirect bilirubin, increased urine and fecal urobilinogen, and splenomegaly
True or False: Specific cases of hemolytic anemia will almost always be either intravascular hemolysis or extravascular hemolysis.
False- Many (if not most cases) of hemolytic anemia have a mix of intravascular and extravascular hemolysis with one or the other predominating
What are the classifications of hemolytic anemia based on the cause of hemolysis?
Intrinsic (Intracorpuscular) or Extrinsic (extracorpuscular)
What are the four major categories of intrinsic RBC defects?
Hemoglobin structure abnormalities, hemoglobin synthesis abnormalities, erythrocyte membrane abnormalities, and erythrocyte enzyme abnormalities
How many heme groups are in one hemoglobin molecule?
4
What is heme?
Iron and protoporphyrin
What is the form of the majority of the body’s iron?
hemoglobin
What is the site of heme synthesis?
Predominantly in erythroid precursors of bone marrow
What type(s) of globin make up normal adult Hb?
Alpha and beta
Where is globin synthesized?
The cytoplasm of normoblasts and reticulocytes
What are the three major type of human hemoglobins and what is their typical relative amounts in the adult body?
Hb A (97%), Hb A2 (2%), and Hb F (1%)
What globin chains make up each major type of Hb?
HbA= 2 alpha 2 beta; HbA2= 2 alpha 2 delta; HbF= 2 alpha 2 gamma
In what conditions is the amount of HbF increased?
Beta thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, hydroxyurea treatment
In what conditions is the amount of Hb A2 increased? Decreased?
Beta thalassemia, megaloblastic anemia; Fe deficiency, sideroblastic anemia
What is methemoglobin?
A hemoglobin molecule in which one or more of the iron atoms are in the ferric state
What enzyme keeps the formation of methemoglobin at bay?
NADH-dependent cytochrome b5-methemoglobin reductase
What is methemoglobinemia and how does it present?
Increased concentration of methemoglobin; cyanosis
What is the basis of inherited methemoglobinemia?
Defects in genes that regulate production of cytochrome b5 reductase or defects in Hb structure (HbM)
What are the acquired causes of methemoglobinemia?
Oxidant drugs or environmental oxidant chemicals
What are hemoglobinopathies?
Structural abnormalities of Hb that lead to a clinical manifestation
Abnormalities of what hemoglobin change that cause hemoglobinopathies often occur in which chain?
Beta
What forms of Hb are due to beta hemoglobinopathies?
Hb S, C, D, and E