Jaundice Flashcards
What are reticuloendothelial cells?
macrophages which are responsible for the maintenance of the blood, through the destruction of old or abnormal cells
What is the role of reticuloendothelial cells?
take up red blood cells and metabolise the haemoglobin present into its individual components; haem and globin
What is globin broken down into?
amino acids which are subsequently recycled
What is haem broken down into?
iron and biliverdin, a process which is catalysed by haem oxygenase
What happens to the iron and bilverdin?
- iron gets recycled
2. biliverdin is reduced to create unconjugated bilirubin
What happens to the unconjugated bilirubin in the bloodstream?
binds to albumin to facilitate its transport to the liver
What happens to unconjugated bilirubin in the liver?
glucuronic acid is added to unconjugated bilirubin by the enzyme glucuronyl transferase forming conjuagted bilirubin
What happens to the conjugated bilirubin?
- it is soluble
- excreted into the duodenum in bile.
What happens to the conjugated bilirubin in the colon?
colonic bacteria deconjugate bilirubin and convert it into urobilinogen
What happens to 80% of urobilingoen?
- oxidised by intestinal bacteria and converted to stercobilin and then excreted through faeces
- stercobilin which gives faeces their colour
What happens to 20% of urobilinogen?
reabsorbed into the bloodstream as part of the enterohepatic circulation and taken to liver and some to kidneys
What happens to the urobilingoen in the kidneys?
oxidised further into urobilin and then excreted into the urine
What are the pre-hepatic causes of jaundice?
- Haemolysis
2. Gilberts syndrome
What is gilberts syndrome?
UDPGT not effecting as usual at conjugating bilirubin (common)
What are the signs of pre-hepatic jaundice?
normal urine or dark in haemolysis