Haemolytic anaemias

Haemolytic anaemias

Normal red cell destruction:
Red cell destruction usually occurs after a mean life span of 120 days when the cells are removed extravascularly by the macrophages in the bone marrow ,liver and spleen.
The breakdown of the haem from red cells liberates iron for re circulations via plasma transferrin to marrow erythroblasts, and protoporphyrin which is broken down to bilirubin
Bilirubin circulates to the liver where it is conjugated to glucoronides which are excreted into the gut via bile and converted to stercobilinogen and stercobilin which are excreted in faeces, stercobilinogen and stercobilin are partly reabsorbed and exerted in urine as urobilinogen and uribilin.
Globin chains are broken down to amino acids which are reutilized for general protein synthesis in the body, intravascular haemolysis(break down of red cells with in blood vessels ) plays little or no role in normal red cells destruction.
Definition of haemolytic anaemias:
Haemolytic anaemias are defined as those anaemias that results from an increase in the rate of red cells destruction.
Classification of haemolytic anaemias: