Anemia of chronic diseases as an interdisciplinary problem

Anemia is believed to be a medico-social problem affecting a great part of population. Anemia of chronic diseases represents a considerable number of these disorders, which is particularly challenging for long-standing inflammatory processes, systemic diseases and neoplasms. Pathogenesis of this type of anemia is characterized by complex and miltifactorial nature. Pathogenesis is based on disturbance of erythropoietin synthesis and erythropoiesis precursor cells sensitivity, hyperproduction of factors inhibiting erythropoiesis (tumor necrosis factor, interleukins), disturbance of iron metabolism and other hemopoiesis co-factors. Anemia aggravates associated underlying disease course. Quality of life and overall survival deteriorate. Treatment efficacy for anemia influences the time of patient recovery, as well as success of treatment of other diseases. Iron deficiency and erythropoiesis disturbance, similar to hypoferric anemia, are of great importance. However, iron therapy may aggravate patient’s condition, hence differential diagnosis of this anemia type and true iron deficiency anemia has a great practical value. In the treatment of anemia in the presence of chronic diseases and anemia in the presence of hematologic diseases, the goal of the treatment is generally limited by the improvement of patient’s quality of life, target value of hemoglobin for transfusion or erythropoiesis stimulating therapy remaining the subject for discussion. Hemoglobin target determination in individuals with cardiac and pulmonary insufficiency who are on chemotherapy, is critically important, because it is this category of patients that does not demonstrate generally accepted target values of hemoglobin, the level of which is not always indicative of hypoxia absence. The review presents current data on diagnosis, treatment of chronic disease anemia (1 figure, 2 tables, bibliography: 12 refs).