Anaemia: Overview

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Anaemia: Overview

Allan J Erslev, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA

Published online: April 2001

DOI: 10.1038/npg.els.0002156

Full Article on Wiley Online Library

Abstract
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References

Anaemias are haematological disorders caused either by a decreased production of red cells, a bone marrow failure, or by an increased destruction of red cells, congenital or acquired. They impair the transport of oxygen from lungs to tissues and their symptoms are caused by tissue hypoxia and by compensatory efforts to correct this hypoxia. The design of an optimal treatment depends on understanding the dynamics of normal haematopoiesis and pinpointing their pathogenesis.

Keywords: anaemias; hypoxia; stem cells

Further Reading
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Article Title:	Anaemia: Overview
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	Figure 1. Relationship between the size of the red cell mass and the packed cell volume (PCV).
	Figure 2. The erythron. An outline of the differentiation, proliferation and maturation that occurs in the transformation of stem cells to mature red cells. Stippled and empty cells in the progenitor cell stage indicate individual apoptosis or destruction of cells due to lack of erythropoietin. BFU-E, burst-forming unit, erythroid; CFU-E, colony-forming unit, erythroid; EPO, erythropoietin; GM-CSF, granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor; IL-3, interleukin-3; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1; SCF, stem cell factor.
	Figure 3. Bioassay of erythropoietin in simple anaemia: relationship between plasma erythropoietin and haematocrit.

Anaemia: Overview

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