Types of leukemia

There are several types of leukemia, and these names usually indicate the cells that primarily affects the disease but also to the form of its course (acute or chronic). Thus, isolated acute and chronic myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia Leukemia - more not a sentence , Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia.

Acute leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia - a type of leukemia, which begins to develop in the bone marrow. It affects so-called myeloid germ - the accumulation of cells that have subsequently formed blood cells. Acute myeloid leukemia leads to the fact that the bone marrow cells do not mature and do not perform the function for which they are intended. These abnormal cells simply accumulate in the bone marrow, forming tumors in the myeloid and disrupting the process of hematopoiesis.

If untreated, the disease develops quickly spreads to other organs - lymph nodes, liver, spleen, brain and spinal cord, testicles - and leads to death.

In acute myeloid leukemia may experience non-specific symptoms such as paleness, bruising on the skin for no apparent reason, prolonged bleeding, even minor cuts, fatigue, lack of energy, shortness of breath caused by the usual human physical activity, lack of appetite, weight loss, increased lymph nodes Lymph nodes - what keeps our immune system , A slight fever, profuse sweating at night, gum disease Gum disease - do not treat lightly Pain or discomfort in the joints.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia begins in lymphoblasts - immature white blood cells, and can also affect mature white blood cells. This is one of the most common cancers in children, and the likelihood of recovery from them is quite large. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is found in adults, but for them the prognosis of this disorder is less favorable. Symptoms of this variety of leukemia can be fever, dizziness, Dizziness - if the ground is slipping from under his feet , Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, bleeding, lymphadenopathy, aching bones, enlargement of the spleen (observed in approximately 10-20% of cases), malfunction of the liver, skin rash caused by skin infiltration of leukemic cells.

Chronic leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia - a relatively rare form of leukemia. This disease can occur in people of any age, but most often it occurs in the elderly; Children suffer this form of leukemia is very rare. People with this disorder the bone marrow produces too many granulocytes - this is one of the varieties of white blood cells. Over time, they accumulate in the bone marrow, because of which the production of healthy blood cells is disrupted and the spleen and other organs. The disease develops very slowly, and for many months and even years, the patient may not notice at any symptoms. Eventually, chronic myeloid leukemia can lead to symptoms such as constant fatigue, lethargy, pain and a feeling of pressure under the lower ribs on the left side (the appearance of this symptom is caused by enlargement of the spleen).

Most people with chronic myeloid leukemia has a gene mutation, known as the Philadelphia chromosome. Because of this mutation's bone marrow makes too many white blood cells, including granulocytes. The Philadelphia chromosome is not inherited, and the reasons for this mutation little is known.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia usually does not cause any symptoms, but in some cases it may be signs of weakness, lethargy, painless swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, abdomen and groin area, as well as unwarranted weight reduction.

Hairy cell leukemia - a rare form of leukemia that affects B cells (a type of lymphocyte, which is directly involved in the fight against infectious diseases). The name of the disease was due to the fact that the abnormal cells are found during the examination of patients under the microscope appear to be covered with "hair". This kind of leukemia is much more common in men than in women, and she was most susceptible to middle-aged and elderly. Hairy cell leukemia - a chronic disease whose causes are unknown, and from which there is no cure. However, timely treatment can lead to long-term remission. Symptoms of this disorder, if they do occur, symptoms are similar to other types of chronic leukemia.

What is anemia and its species

Anemia or anemia - a decrease in the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the blood. Most often, anemia is not an independent disease, but a symptom of some other disease. For reasons of the disease and its mechanisms of all anemia is conventionally divided into three groups:

• anemia due to blood loss or iron deficiency anemia;
• anemia due to violation of the formation of red blood cells;
• anemia due to increased destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic); hemolytic anemias are divided into acquired and hereditary; all acquired hemolytic anemia, in turn, are divided into immune due to mechanical damage of red blood cells, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Immune hemolytic anemia

Immune hemolytic anemia arise due to damage and death of erythrocytes as a result of exposure to antibody. Antibodies produced by the body in response to the introduction of foreign particles in the body (antigens). Normally, antibodies are glued together with the antigens and are displayed together with them from the body. Sometimes it begins to produce antibodies to the body's own cells, such reactions are called autoimmunity.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is most often occurs on the background of some other diseases, for example, against the background of hepatitis caused by taking certain medications, when exposed to heat or cold.

The disease begins gradually, or in the form of acute hemolytic crisis (increase in body temperature to high numbers, headache, sudden drop in blood pressure Blood pressure - dangerous if his swing? , Yellow skin, dark urine, nausea, vomiting, pain in the lower back).

When alloimmune hemolytic anemia antibodies against antigens of red blood cells fall from the outside, for example, when Rh blood incompatibility of mother and fetus when the mother's antibodies cross the placenta to reach the fetus, causing the latter hemolytic disease of the newborn.

Hemolytic anemia caused by mechanical damage to erythrocytes

Such anemia may occur in the presence of artificial heart valves or aorta. Increased destruction of red blood cells also occurs when heavy physical work, under the influence of ionizing radiation, certain microorganisms (toxoplasma, viruses), lead poisoning, copper, vinegar essence, and other chemical compounds.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

This disease is characterized by excessive intravascular destruction of red blood cell changes. The cause of the disease is unknown, precipitating factors may include various chemical compounds (including medications), blood transfusions, ionizing radiation, infectious diseases, etc. Disease develops gradually, there is a weakness, moderate yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, morning urine becomes dark. One to two weeks after crisis in the blood vessels formed clots.

Hereditary hemolytic anemia

Hereditary hemolytic anemias are divided into anemia due to violation of the structure of red blood cells, violation of enzyme activity of erythrocytes, impaired synthesis (thalassemia) or structure (hemoglobinopathies) hemoglobin Hemoglobin: worse - low or high? , Violation of dividing cells in the bone marrow (erythrokaryocytes).

Diagnosis of hemolytic anemias

Diagnosis of autoimmune anemia carried out on the basis of signs of increased blood clotting and to identify on the surface of red blood cell antibodies Antibodies - "soldiers' immunity . These antibodies are detected by means of direct and indirect Coombs test. Direct sample detects antibodies on the surface of red blood cells, indirect - in the blood plasma.

The diagnosis of hemolytic anemia is usually made on the basis of a combination of symptoms and diagnostic tests.

Treatment for hemolytic anemia

When autoimmune hemolytic anemia treatment is the basis of glucocorticoid hormones, which are assigned long-term and in large enough doses. Good effects have immunosuppressants (eg, chlorambucil), and antimalarials (delagil). Sometimes, to cleanse the blood of antigen-antibody complexes is used plasmapheresis Plasmapheresis - cleansing the blood of toxins . In severe cases it is necessary to resort to surgery - removal of the spleen.

When paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients were transfusion of fresh red blood cell mass. For the prevention and treatment of thrombosis are treated with drugs that reduce blood clotting (anticoagulants). Glucocorticoids and iron preparations are contraindicated in this disease.

Treatment of hereditary hemolytic anemias dependent on their shapes, with some of them shown splenectomy, with other - blood transfusion and so on.

Any hemolytic anemia requires examination and long-term treatment.

  Galina Romanenko