RBC disorders Flashcards
RBC indices: What do they mean?
- hemoglobin : concentration of Hb in blood
*less : anemia
*More: polycythemia
2. Mean corpuscular volume(MCV) : average size of the RBC - smaller: microcytic
- Larger: macrocytic
3. Red cell distribution width (RDW) : how similar or different the RBCs are in size: more the variation, higher the RDW
4. mean corpuscular hemogolbin concentraiton : concentration of hb in each RBC:
Normal: normochromic - reduced: hypochromic
5. Hematocrit, or packed cell volume(PCV) : volume %of RBCs in blood
anemia: reduction in the total …… of the blood
oxygen -carrying capacity
Consequenes and clinical features for anemia
- patients appear pale - conjunctiva, palms, and face
- weakness , malaise, easy fatigability, and dyspnea on mild exertion
- hypoxia: fatty change in the liver, myocardium, and kidney
- CNS hypoxia: headache, dimness of vision and faintness
Classification of anemia : based on morphology- ?
normocytic, microcytic, macrocytic
Morphological classification:normal RBC
- biconcave in shape the central pallor
: to make space for all the hb - to have more surface area for favorable hb -oxygen interaction
makes RBC deformable like fleible enough to faicilitate passage through small capilaries and sinuosids
Normal RBC is roughly the same size as the nucleus of a small lymphocyte -
Microcytic:
Hb synthesis has been affected- less Hb production - smaller size of RBC
- Iron+ protoporphyrin = heme +globin chains= hemoglobin
cause of microcytic:
- Iron is deficient in the body
- Unavailable to RBC precursors to make Hb (Iron is there but RBC can’t get it)
- synthesis or incoorporation with iron defective
- Qauality or quantitity of globin chain produced is defective or not enough
RBC will be smaller in size as there is less hb to occupy the cell
= microcytic
Less hb means colors of RBC will be less
= hypochromic central pallor will increase
If problem #3-
iron will be in excess and express as hemosiderin deposit in RBC and precursors- siderocytes and sideroblasts
Macrocytic:
Imparied Dna synthesis but normal RNa synthesis and translation
Normocytic:
signal for erythropoiesis reduced or there is not enough space for erythropoiesis in the bone marrow.
- can also be seen in early stages of anemia due to iron deficiency or unavailability
Morphology of RBCs in anemias:
change in shape of RBC -
poikilocytosis
- Spherocyte:
- any damage or defect in RBC membranes- reduced surface area to volume ratio - has to accommodate same hb - takes the most economical shape- spherical
- reduced deformabiliy - become easy targerts for splenic macrophages
- Can be seen in inherited defects in RBC membrane protein or acquired causes of damage to RBC membrane
- Tear drop: dacrocyte
- marrow fibrosis: RBC distored on its way out of the bone marrow
- abnormal inclusion in RBC: splenic macrophages try to take them out- shape distorted
- Target cell/ codocyte
: RBCs having a surface that is disproportionately large compared with their volume
- seen in condtions with defective hemoglobinization, reduced Hb, membrane lipid imbalance.
- Sickle cell/ drepanocyte:
- a specific genetic defect in beta globin chain of hb makes it less soluble- in deoxygenated state it forms polymers- distorts the shape of RBC
- obstructs small capilaries and can cause ischemia
5.Fragmented RBC/ Schistocyte
- physical damage to RBCs within the vessels- triangular fragments or looking like helmets
- Bite cell
- a specific genetic defect causing deficiency in an enzyme of hexose monophosphate shunt or gluthathione metabolism - makes it less protected against oxidative damage.
- free radical dmage to hb - become denatured
- Form membrane- bound precipitates HEINZ bodies
- splenic macrophages eat these precipitates - cell looks like bite
How can we visualize the Heinz bodies:
supravital stains
How can we visualize the Heinz bodies:
supravital stains : light the cells
- Polychromatophilic cells/ reticulocyte
- juvenile immature red cells larger in size than normal
- contain remnants of the ribosomal rna present in the cytoplasm. (RNA stains blue)
- if increased : reflects increased erythropoietic activity like compensatory hyperplasia etc = increased meaning bone marrow making so much RBC
- if decreased: reflects decreased erythropoietic activity like lack of space or raw materials, defects in stem cells in bone marrow = decrease meaning less RBC making from bone marrow
- On routine stain - Hb stains the cell pink +remnant RNA stains the cell blue - polychromatophilic cell
- On supravital stain: RNA remnants can be seen making a mesh - reticulocyte - if we want to see RNA
- Howell Jolly Bodies
- Remnant of dna
- Usually removed by spleen - if present indicates decreased function or absence of spleen .
- Heinz bodies: on supravital stain
- Howell jolly bodies- on routine stains.
- Howell Jolly Bodies
- Remnant of dna (dna stains blue)
- Usually removed by spleen - if present indicates decreased function or absence of spleen .
- Heinz bodies: on supravital stain
- Howell jolly bodies- on routine stains.