Annotation: THE ANAEMIA OF CHRONIC DISORDERS

Abstract

Although the anaemia associated with chronic disorders is one of the most frequently encountered forms of anaemia, particularly in hospital patients, it has not received the distinction which it deserves, in part, perhaps, because of the lack of an appropriate name. The term ‘simple chronic anaemia’ is most inappropriate because the pathogenesis of the anaemia involves the delicate control mechanisms of erythropoiesis and these are not simple. The title ‘anaemia of chronic infections’ is much too restrictive, for the anaemia occurs in patients with cancer, lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis, collagen vascular diseases, fractures, severe tissue injury and many other disorders. ‘Anaemia of chronic disorders’, though a less restrictive title, is unsatisfactory because many other types of anaemia occur in these disorders, such as blood loss, overt haemolytic anaemia of various types, reactions to drugs, myelophthisic anaemia, and the anaemia of renal failure. Furthermore, the name gives no hint as to the diagnostic features or pathogenesis of the anaemia. A more descriptive, but somewhat more cumbersome, title might be ‘sideropenic anaemia with reticuloendothelial siderosis.’

Serum transferrin receptor in children with respiratory infections

“…Impaired release of the metal from the reticuloendothelial system to circulation (Cartwright & Lee, 1971;Konijn & Hershko, 1977) and acceleration of flux of plasma iron into hepatic storage sites (Biesel, 1976) have been demonstrated in inflammatory conditions. Biesel et al (1974) demonstrated increase in ferritin synthesis and Heilmeyer & Wohler (1961) reported accumulation of iron in storage tissues during acute=chronic inflammatory conditions.…”

Study of blood indices and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in differentiation of β-thalassemia trait and iron deficiency anaemia

“…Beta thalassaemia minor is the most common form of thalassemia. 4 Most homozygotes suffer from a severe syndrome and require regular blood transfusions to survive.…”

“…[3][4][5] These indices can be used as preliminary screening tools which can help distinguish between Iron deficiency anemia(IDA) and Beta thalassemia trait (BTT). 3 In a tertiary level health care center, it is important to identify suspect BTT individuals from the routine cbc workload.…”

Iron Metabolism in Hodgkin's Disease

“…When 59Fe haemoglobin is injected intravenously it is rapidly cleared by the reticuloendothelial (RE) system and studies of radioactive iron utilization following its administration have shown diminished red cell incorporation in patients with generalized Hodgkin's disease (Haurani, Young and Tocantins, 1963). This is thought to be due to a failure of RE cells to release iron derived from the catabolism of haemoglobin, and this state is associated with a low plasma iron concentration and consequent impaired delivery to the bone marrow (Cartwright and Lee, 1971). An alternative method of measuring RE cell iron release involves a double isotope technique in which 55Fe labelled iron dextran replaces labelled haemoglobin and 59Fe labelled transferrin is used to measure plasma iron utilization (Beamish et al, 1971).…”