Hi, Brigitte
In hemolytic anemias, red blood cells undergo premature destruction by
two general mechanisms 1) Intravascular hemolysis can be caused by
immunological mechanisms (fixation of complement, antibodies...) in
several illness ( infections, lymphomas and systemic lupus
erythematosus); mechanical destruction (artificial cardiac valve
prostheses...) or by exogenous toxins. Drugs also can provoke hemolysis
but this is very rare. 2) More commonly, red cells are destroyed by
macrophages in the spleen and liver because the red cells have membrane
anomalies or anomalies of cell interior (hemoglobinopathies, enzyme
defects...). The most anomalies are hereditary.
You can find all informations on medline.
Best regards
Michel Dumonceux MD
ldewit at ben.vub.ac.be
Dept. of Virology
Institut Pasteur de Bruxelles
642 rue Engeland
B-1180
Brussels, Belgium
