ASCP Specialist in Hematology (SH) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The type of anemia that is characterized by autoimmune destruction of red blood cells is autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In this condition, the body's immune system mistakenly identifies its own red blood cells as foreign invaders and produces antibodies against them. This leads to the premature destruction of these cells, resulting in anemia, which can manifest with symptoms like fatigue, pallor, and jaundice due to the breakdown of red blood cells.

The process of hemolysis in autoimmune hemolytic anemia can occur either intravascularly (within the blood vessels) or extravascularly (primarily in the spleen). The diagnosis often involves laboratory findings that demonstrate the presence of antibodies against red blood cells, an increased reticulocyte count as the bone marrow attempts to compensate for the loss, and likely elevated levels of bilirubin due to increased red blood cell breakdown.

Other types of anemia presented in the question, such as iron deficiency anemia, chronic disease anemia, and aplastic anemia, have distinct causes and mechanisms that do not involve the autoimmune destruction of red blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia is caused by a lack of adequate iron, chronic disease anemia is associated with chronic inflammatory states that affect red blood cell production, and aplastic anemia involves the failure of the bone marrow