Acquired hemolytic anemia, associated with exposure to the antibodies (Immune)
Immune hemolytic anemia - This is a big heterogeneous group of diseases, which it is common to antibodies or lymphocytes involved in the damage and premature death of red blood cells or erythrokaryocytes.
Immune hemolytic anemias are divided into four groups:
- alloimmune;
- transimmunnye;
- hetero immune;
- Autoimmune.
At alloimmune, isoimmune or hemolytic anemia antibodies against antigens of red blood cells or red blood cells of the patient, containing antigens, against which the patient has antibodies, fall outside the patient's body. This is observed in hemolytic disease of the newborn, when antibodies, produced by the mother, cross the placenta into the fetal blood. Another example of alloimmune hemolytic reaction - hemolysis transfusion of red blood cells, incompatible ABO, Rh or some other system, against which the patient has antibodies.
At transimmunnyh hemolytic anemia mother antibodies, suffering from autoimmune hemolytic anemia, cross the placenta and cause hemolytic anemia in a child. These antibodies are directed against an antigen common erythrocytes, available to the mother and child.
The third group of immune hemolytic anemia - a geteroimmunnye hemolytic anemia, associated with the appearance on the surface of red blood cells of the patient new antigen. This novel antigen may be a drug, who gets sick, eg penicillin, tseporyn, sulfa drugs. A small number of individuals develop antibodies against the antigen, that, as well as a new antigen, fixed on the surface of the erythrocyte, and complement, or macrophages leads to the death of red blood cells. Such immune hemolytic anemia are called the hapten.
Hapten may also be a virus, fixed to the surface of the erythrocyte. Antibodies against the virus can be fixed with him on the surface of erythrocyte, resulting in the death of red blood cell.
The virus can cause in the erythrocyte and more complex changes: built into the gene erythrokaryocytes, it leads to a change in antigenic structure erythrocyte, whereby erythrocytes such may be perceived by the immune system as the antigen opponent and develop antibodies against them. Perhaps the development of severe immune hemolytic anemia, associated with changes in the antigenic structure of red blood cells. After recovering from an infection, elimination of the virus from the body so the immune anemia pass completely.
The above-described forms of anemia not belong to the group of autoimmune, since their immune system does not produce antibodies against their own antigens.
