Red Blood Cell Disorders Flashcards
Anemia
Classic presentation?
- Reduction in circulating red blood cell (RBC) mass
- Presents with signs and symptoms of hypoxia
1. Weakness, fatigue, and dyspnea
2. Pale conjunctiva and skin
3. Headache and lightheadedness
4. Angina, especially with preexisting coronary artery disease
Surrogates for RBC mass? Official definition of Anemia?
- Hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and RBC count are used as surrogates for RBC mass, which is difficult to measure
- Anemia is defined as Hb < 13.5 g/dL in males and < 12.5 g/dL in females (normal
Hb is 13.5-17.5 g/dL in males and 12.5-16.0 g/dL in females).
- Anemia is defined as Hb < 13.5 g/dL in males and < 12.5 g/dL in females (normal
How are anemias classified?
- Based on mean corpuscular volume (MCV), anemia can be classified as
- microcytic (MCV < 80 cubic micrometers)
- normocytic (MCV = 80- 100)
- macrocytic (MCV > 100 um3
MICROCYTIC ANEMIAS
Cause?
Anemia with MCV < 80um3
Microcytic anemias are due to decreased production of hemoglobin.
- RBC progenitor cells in the bone marrow are large and normally divide multiple times to produce smaller mature cells (MCV = 80- 100)
- Microcytosis is due to an “extra” division which occurs to maintain hemoglobin concentration.
Hemoglobin is made of heme and globin; heme is composed of iron and protoporphyrin. A decrease in any of these components leads to microcytic anemia.
Types of microcytic anemias?
- Thalassemia
- Anemia of CD
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Lead
- Sideroblastic
What is the most common type of anemia? What causes this type?
IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA
A. Due to decreased levels of iron -> decreased heme -> decreased Hb -> microcytic anemia
Lack of iron is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, affecting roughly 1/3 of world’s population.
How is iron obtained?
Describe absorption and transport of Fe.
Iron is consumed in heme (meat-derived) and non-heme (vegetable-derived) forms.
$ 1. Absorption occurs in the duodenum. Enterocytes have heme and non-heme (DMT1) transporters; the heme form is more readily absorbed.
2. Enterocytes transport iron across the cell membrane into blood via ferroportin.
3. Transferrin transports iron in the blood and delivers it to liver and bone marrow
macrophages for storage.
4. Stored intraccllular iron is bound to ferritin, which prevents iron from forming free radicals via the Fenton reaction.
Serum iron
measure of iron in the blood
Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)
measure of transferrin molecules in the blood
%saturation
percentage of transferrin molecules that are bound by iron (normal is 33%)
Serum ferritin
reflects iron stores in macrophages and the liver
What causes iron deficiency?
Iron deficiency is usually caused by dietary lack or blood loss.
- Infants-breast-feeding (human milk is low in iron)
- Children- poor diet
- Adults (20-50 years)-peplic ulcer disease in males and menorrhagia or pregnancy in females
- Elderly- colon polyps/carcinoma in the Western world; hookworm (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus) in the developing world
- Other causes include malnutrition, malabsorption, and gastrectomy (acid aids iron absorption by maintaining the Fe2+ state, which is more readily absorbed than Fe3’+).
Stages of iron deficiency
- Storage iron is depleted- ↓ ferritin; ↑TIBC
- Serum iron is depleted- ↓ serum iron; ↓ %saturation
- Normocytic anemia-Bone marrow makes fewer, but normal-sized, RBCs.
- Microcytic, hypochromic anemia-Bone marrow makes smaller and fewer RBCs.
Clinical features of iron deficiency
anemia, koilonychia, and pica.
Laboratory findings in IDA
- Microcytic, hypochromic RBCs with ↑ red cell distribution width
- ↓ ferritin; ↑ TIBC; ↓ serum iron; ↓ % saturation
$ 3. ↑ Free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP)
Plummer~Vinson syndrome
iron deficiency anemia with esophageal web and
atrophic glossitis; presents with anemia, dysphagia, and beefy-red tongue
ACD
Anemia associated with chronic inflammation (e.g., endocarditis or autoimmune conditions) or cancer; most common type of anemia in hospitalized patients
Mechanism of ACD?
Chronic disease results in production of acute phase reactants from the liver,
including hepcidin.
l. Hepcidin sequesters iron in storage sites by (1) limiting iron transfer from macrophages to erythroid precursors and (2) suppressing erythropoietin (EPO) production; aim is to prevent bacteria from accessing iron, which is necessary for their survival.
Reduced available iron = reduced heme = reduced Hb = microcytic anemia
Lab findings in ACD
- ↑ ferritin, ↓ TlBC, ↓ serum iron, and ↓% saturation
- ↑ Free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EEP)
SIDEROBLASTlC ANEMIA
Anemia due to defective protoporphyrin synthesis
Low protoporphoryn, can’t make heme, can’t make Hb, microcytic anemia
Lab findings in sideroblastic anemia?
- ↑ ferritin
- ↓ TIBC
- ↑ serum iron
- ↑ % saturation
- (iron-overloaded state) Same labs as in hemochromatosis
How is protoporphyrin synthesized?
I. Aminolevulinic acid synthetase (ALAS) converts succinyl CoA to levulinic acid (ALA) using vitamin B6 as a cofactor (rate-limiting step).
- Aminolevulinic acid dehydrogenase (ALAD) converts ALA to porphobilinogen.
- Additional reactions convert porphobilinogen to protoporphyrin.
- Ferrochelatase attaches protoporphyrin to iron to make heme (final reaction; occurs in the mitochondria).
What is the consequence of deficient protoporphyrin?
Iron is transferred to erythroid precursors and enters the mitochondria to form heme. If protoporphyrin is deficient, iron remains trapped in mitochondria.
- Iron-laden mitochondria form a ring around the nucleus of erythroid precursors; these cells are called ringed sideroblasts (hence, the term sideroblastic anemia,
What are the 2 types of sieroblastic anemia?
Congenital or acquired
$ Most common congenital defect leading to a sideroblastic anemia?
$ Congenital defect most commonly involves ALAS (rate-limiting enzyme).
Acquired causes of sideroblastic anemia?
- Alcoholism-mitochondrial poison
- Lead poisoning-inhibits ALAD (can’ make protoporphyrin) and ferrochelatase (can’t link protoporphyrin)
- Vitamin B6 deficiency-required cofactor for ALAS; most commonly seen as a side effect of isoniazid treatment for tuberculosis
THALASSEMIA
Why did this evolve over time?
How are thalassemias divided?
Anemia due to decreased synthesis of the globin chains of hemoglobin
low globin = low Hb = microcytic
Inherited mutation; carriers are protected against Plasmodium Falciparum malaria.
Divided into a- and beta-thalassemia based on decreased production of alpha or beta globin chains.
What is the usual cause of alpha thalassemia?
$ a-Thalassemia is usually due to gene deletion; normally, 4 alpha genes are present on chromosome 16.
- One gene deleted-asymptomatic
- Two genes deleted- mild anemia with increased RBC count; cis deletion is associated with an increased risk of severe thalassemia in offspring.
i. Cis deletion is when both deletions occur on the same chromosome; seen in Asians
ii. Trans deletion is when one deletion occurs on each chromosome; seen in Africans, including African Americans - Three genes deleted- severe anemia; ~chains form tetramers (HbH) that
damage RBCs; HbH is seen on electrophoresis. - Four genes deleted- lethal in utero (hydrops fetalis); y chains form tetramers
(Hb Barts) that damage RBCs; Hb Barts is seen on electrophoresis.
Usual cause of beta thalassemia?
gene mutations (point mutations in promoter or
splicing sites); seen in individuals of African and Mediterranean descent
Two beta genes are present on chromosome 11; mutations result in absent (beta-0 ) or diminished (beta+) production of thebeta-globin chain.
Beta-thal minor
- Mild form, asymptomatic usually with increased RBC count
- Microcytic hypochromic RBCs and target cells
- Hb electrophoresis shows increased Hb2 about 5% instead of 2.5%, slight increase in HbF
Beta-thal major
- Severe Massive erythroid hyperplasia with expansion of hematopoiesis into skull - crewcut appearance, facial bones,
- extramedullary heatopoiesis with hepatosplenomegaly,
- risk of aplastic crisis with parvovirus B19 infection
- Little or NO HbA!
MACROCYTIC ANEMIA
- Anemia with MCV > 100
- most commonly due to folate or vitamin B12
- deficiency (megaloblastic anemia)
- Folate and vitamin 812 are necessary for synthesis of DNA precursors.
- Lack of folate or vitamin Bl2 impairs synthesis of DNA precursors.
- Other causes of macrocytic anemia (without megaloblastic change) include
alcoholism, liver disease, and drugs (e.g., 5-FU).
Where is dietary folate absorbed?
How long does it take to develop a deficiency?
What causes folate deficiency?
Dietary folate is obtained from green vegetables and some fruits.
Absorbed in the jejunum
B. Folate deficiency develops within months, as body stores are minimal.
C. Causes include poor diet (e.g., alcoholics and elderly), increased demand (e.g., pregnancy, cancer, and hemolytic anemia), and folate antagonists (e.g., methotrexate, which inhibits dihydrofolate reductase).
Clinical findings in folate deficiency?
- 1.. Macrocytic RBCs and hypersegmented neutrophils (> 5 lobes)
- Glossitis
- ↓ serum folate
- ↑ serum homocysteine (increases risk for thrombosis)
- Normal methylmalonic acid
Explain how B12 is obtained
Dietary vitamin Bl2 is complexed to animal-derived proteins.
1. Salivary gland en:qmes (e.g., amylase) liberate vitamin Bl2, which is then bound
by R-binder (also from the salivary gland) and carried through the stomach.
2. Pancreatic proteases in the duodenum detach vitamin Bl2 from R-binder.
3. Vitamin B12 binds intrinsic factor (made by gastric parietal cells) in the small
bowel; the intrinsic factor-vitamin B12 complex is absorbed in the ileum.
Most common cause of B12 deficiency?
- Pernicious anemia is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Autoimmune destruction of parietal cells (body of stomach) leads to intrinsic factor deficiency
- Other causes of vitamin Bl2 deficiency include pancreatic insufficiency and damage to the terminal ileum (e.g., Crohn disease or Diphyllobothrium latum [fish tapeworm]); dietary deficiency is rare, except in vegans.