What leads to microcytic anemia?

Microcytic anemias are caused by conditions that prevent your body from producing enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a component of your blood. It helps transport oxygen to your tissues and gives your red blood cells their red color. Iron deficiency causes most microcytic anemias.

What is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia in early childhood?

The most common causes of iron deficiency in children include insufficient intake together with rapid growth, low birth weight and gastrointestinal losses related to excessive intake of cow’s milk.

Does erythropoiesis cause anemia?

Under ineffective erythropoiesis, the imbalance of erythroid proliferation and differentiation is characterized by an increase in erythroblast proliferation that fails to differentiate and give rise to enucleate RBCs thereby resulting in anemia.

What lab values indicate microcytic anemia?

Microcytic anemia is defined as the presence of small, often hypochromic, red blood cells in a peripheral blood smear and is usually characterized by a low MCV (less than 83 micron 3). Iron deficiency is the most common cause of microcytic anemia.

Why do cells become Microcytic in iron deficiency anemia?

In iron deficiency anaemia, the red cells are smaller than normal (microcytosis). This is because the maturing red cells undergo an extra cellular division before the critical haemoglobin concentration required to arrest mitosis is achieved. The cells are also hypochromic, with a larger area of central pallor (see Fig.

What process occurs in the first stage of iron deficiency?

The first phase is the depletion of storage iron (stage I), where total body iron is decreased but hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis and red cell indices remain unaffected. Both these indices change when the supply of iron to bone marrow becomes problematic (iron deficient erythropoiesis, or stage II).

How does anemia affect erythropoiesis?

It is known that both hypoxia and anemia stimulate erythropoiesis by stimulating mRNA transcription and Epo protein production. Promoter and enhancer elements within the Epo gene are responsive to hypoxia, as well as to cobalt exposure in vitro.

What causes increased erythropoiesis?

Excess erythropoietin results from chronic exposure to low oxygen levels or from rare tumours that produce high levels of erythropoietin. It causes a condition known as polycythaemia which means high red blood cell count.

What causes RBCs to be Macrocytic?

Share on Pinterest Macrocytic anemia is usually caused by a deficiency of folate or vitamin B-12, which is abundant in animal products. Macrocytic anemia is almost always due to a deficiency of folate or vitamin B-12.