Anemia of chronic disease overview
|
Anemia of chronic disease Microchapters | |
|
Differentiating Anemia of chronic disease from other Diseases | |
|---|---|
|
Diagnosis | |
|
Treatment | |
|
Case Studies | |
|
Anemia of chronic disease overview On the Web | |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Anemia of chronic disease overview | |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Anemia of chronic disease overview | |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
There is no established classification of anemia of chronic disease.
Pathophysiology
Inflammatory cytokines induce increased amounts of hepcidin by the liver. Hepcidin blocks ferroportin from releasing iron from the body stores. Inflammatory cytokines also decrease ferroportin expression and stops erythropoiesis by increasing bone marrow erythropoietin resistance. Apart from iron sequestration, white blood cells production is promoted by inflammatory cytokines. Bone marrow stem cellsproduce both red blood cells and white blood cells cells. Therefore, the upregulation of white blood cells causes fewer stem cells to differentiate into red blood cells. This may also have a role in inhibition of erythropoiesis ,even when erythropoietin levels are normal, and aside from the effects of hepcidin.
Causes
Conditions that can lead to anemia of chronic disease include autoimmune disorders, such as Crohn's disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis, Cancer including lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease, chronic kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, long-term infections, such as bacterial endocarditis, osteomyelitis (bone infection), HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or hepatitis C, less production of erythropoietin (EPO) by kidneys, resistance of bone marrow to EPO., decreased half life of red blood cells, hospitalized for severe acute infections, trauma, or other conditions that cause inflammation and aging process may cause inflammation and anemia.
Differentiating from Other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
30 to 60 percent of patients in rheumatoid arthritis patients have anemia. More than 30 of cancer patients have anemia. The rate reached 63 percent. In elderly patients, about one third of the cases of anemia are ACD.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for anemia of chronic disease include autoimmune disorders, chronic infection, trauma, major surgery, malignancy, HIV infection, rheumatologic disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, castleman disease, heart failure, older adults, renal insufficiency and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Screening
There is insufficient evidence to recommend routine screening for anemia of chronic disease.
Natural History, Complications, and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Study of Choice
There is no single diagnostic study of choice for test that will reliably make the diagnosis of ACD
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Mild normocytic and normochromic anemia with a hemoglobin concentration of 10 to 11 g/dL. Less than 25 percent of the cases have microcytic and hypochromic anemia with a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) less than 70 fL. Normal or low mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MHC) similar to the MCV, and normal to increased red cell distribution width (RDW). No significant changes in the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). 20 percent of cases have severe anemia, with a hemoglobin concentration <8 g/dL. Absolute reticulocyte count is frequently low (<25,000/microL). There could be an elevation in cytokines (eg, IL-6, interferon-gamma) and acute phase reactants (eg, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, ferritin, haptoglobin, factor VIII)