RBCs: Production And Survival Flashcards
How many RBCs are made per day?
10^12
What is the first recognisable RBC precursor in bone marrow?
Proerythroblast
What are the stages a RBC has to go through to mature (from proerythroblast to normoblast)?
Proerythroblast
Early erythroblast
Late erythroblast
Normoblast
What is the key regulator in the RBC - O2 pressure feedback loop?
EPO
How is the number of RBCs related to the ambient O2 pressure?
Inversely
How does the o2 pressure increase the o2 carrying ability of blood (5 steps)?
Decreased o2 blood levels Kidney releases EPO EPO stimulates red marrow Enhanced erythropoeisis increases RBC count Increases o2 carrying ability of blood
What does EPO stand for?
Erythropoietin
What does HiF do?
Enhances expression of iron absorbing gene
Give 4 sources of iron
Meat, eggs, vegetables, dairy foods
How much iron does a normal western diet provide daily?
15mg
Where is the iron form a western diet absorbed?
5-10% in duodenum and jejunum
What helps the absorption of iron?
HCL and ascorbic acid
What regulates iron absorption?
DMT-7 and ferroportin
What are the three causes of iron deficiency?
Decreased uptake
Increased demand
Increased loss
What causes decreased uptake of iron?
Inadequate intake or malabsorption
What causes increased demand of iron in the body?
Pregnancy or growth spurt
What causes increased loss of iron in the body?
GI bleed or excess loss in periods
What are the other (not iron) haematinics?
Vitamin B12 and folic acid
What processes are vitamin B12 and folic acid needed for (3)?
RBC maturation, DNA synthesis and formation of thymidine triphosphate
What does a deficiency in vitamin B12 and folic acid lead to?
A failure of nuclear maturation
What are the 3 causes of vitamin B12 deficiency?
Inadequate intake
Absorption defect
IF deficiency
What group of people are likely to inadequately intake vitamin B12?
Vegans
What are symptoms of tropical sprue?
Altered small bowel muscosa, chronic diarrhoea and all signs/symptoms of multiple vitamin and nutrient deficiencies
What is pernicious anaemia?
Most common cause of B12 deficiency
What causes pernicious anaemia?
Autoimmune gastric atrophy, which leads to the loss of an intrinsic factor production needed for absorption of B12
What are the four causes of folate deficiency?
Inadequate intake
Absorption defect
Increased demand/losses
Drugs
What causes inadequate intake of folate?
Poor nutrition
What are some folate absorption defects called?
Coeliac
Crohns
Tropical sprue
What causes increased demand/ losses of folate?
Pregnancy
Haemolytic
Cancer
What type of drugs cause a vitamin folate deficiency?
Anticonvulsant