Tags: Disease.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (or autoimmune haemolytic anaemia; AIHA) occurs when antibodies directed against the person’s own red blood cells (RBCs) cause them to burst (lyse) leading to insufficient plasma concentration. The lifetime of the RBCs is reduced from the normal 100–120 days to just a few days in serious cases. The intracellular components of the RBCs are released into the circulating blood and into tissues leading to some of the characteristic symptoms of this condition.