Lecture 2a Flashcards
What makes someone anemic?
Hgb <12 female, <13.6 male
Hct <35% female, <41% male
What are the causes of microcytic anemia?
Iron deficiency
Lead toxicity
Zinc deficiency
Thalassemia
Chronic anemia
What are the causes of macrocytic(megaloblastic) anemia?
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Folate deficiency
DNA synthesis inhibitors
Define intravascular hemolysis.
RBCs lyse within blood vessels
Note: decrease in haptoglobin, possible hemoglobinuria
What types of RBCs appear in intravascular hemolysis?
Schistocyte
Define extravascular hemolysis.
RBCs are destroyed within organs (spleen, liver)
Note: haptoglobin may not decrease
Why do sphereocytes form in extravascular hemolysis?
A little piece of RBC gets bitten off but the RBC snaps back into a normal form
How is iron in the cells affected between intravascular and extravascular hemolysis?
Intravascular: decrease in iron over time
Extravascular: iron is recovered and stored
When do we see spleen enlargement?
Extravascular hemolysis
When do we see red-brown urine?
Intravascular hemolysis
Why would MCV be elevated in hemolysis?
Because of the increase of reticulocyte count
Why would reticulocyte not increase?
Bone marrow may run out of resources to make more
What is a type of structural anemia?
Hereditary spherocytosis
What are types of hemoglobinopathies?
Thalassemias
Sickle Cell disease
What is a type of metabolic anemia?
G6PD deficiency
What is a type of immune-related anemia?
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Hemolytic disease of the newborn
Who often inherits hereditary spherocytosis?
1 in 5000 northern Europeans
Autosomal dominant
What is the pathology behind hereditary spherocytosis?
Round instead of flexible biconcave disk
In small red pulp fenestrations which leads to phagocytic destruction
What are some symptoms of hereditary spherocytosis?
Mild to severe anemia
Can be undetected for years
Jaundice
Enlarged spleen
Gallstones (50% of pts)
What are possible treatments for hereditary spherocytosis?
Folic acid 1mg daily
Transfusion (EPO may reduce the need in infants)
Splenectomy only >5yo or until puberty (need antipneumococcal vaccination)
What tests should we order to help determine hereditary spherocytosis?
Blood smear
Coombs testing(should be negative)
What are the types of Hgbs and how prevalent they are?
HgbA 97-99% in RBC (2alpha, 2 beta subunits)
HgbA2 1-3% in RBC (2alpha, 2 delta)
HgbF <1% in RBC (2alpha, 2 gamma)
HgbS (2 alpha, 2 betaS)
What chromosomes are important for creating Hgb? What do they code for?
Chromosome 16: 2 copies of alpha-globing gene (4 total)
Chromosome 11: 1 copy of beta-globulin gene (2 total), as well as delta and gamma
What causes alpha thalassemias?
Gene deletions that reduce alpha-chain synthesis