title: Sideroblastic anemias: variations on imprecision in diagnostic criteria, proposal for an extended classification of sideroblastic anemias.
abstract: Sideroblastic anemias are caused by a diversity of hereditary, congenital, or acquired disorders. Criteria used in describing sideroblastic anemias vary widely among standard medical textbooks and even so have been imprecisely applied in the literature. Recent discoveries concerning the basic pathophysiologic mechanisms involving the molecular biology of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, erythroid ALA synthase (ALAS-2), and iron transport have made the classification of sideroblastic anemias very complex. We recommend a more precise evaluation and documentation of the components that characterize the sideroblastic abnormality and propose an extended classification of the sideroblastic anemias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44101, USA. SKoc82064@aol.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koc
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000624:5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase / Q000378:metabolism; D000756:Anemia, Sideroblastic / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000502:physiology; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D004920:Erythropoiesis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D007501:Iron; D000624:5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase