Common Indicators Of McLeod Syndrome

Peripheral Neuropathy

Most individuals affected by McLeod syndrome develop some degree of peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is an umbrella term encompassing a range of conditions that happen when certain nerves in an individual's body are damaged or diseased. These nerves include those that transmit signals from the rest of the body to the spinal cord and brain, as well as those that transmit signals from the brain and spinal cord back to the rest of the body. The peripheral nerves create a complex network that attaches the spinal cord and brain to the internal organs, muscles, and skin. The most common manifestations of peripheral neuropathy in McLeod syndrome patients are feelings of numbness, tingling, loss of sensation in arms and legs, and a burning sensation in the hands or feet. This type of neuropathy can have adverse effects on the nerves that control the movement of muscles or the motor nerves as well as the sensory nerves or the nerves responsible for detecting sensations of pain and temperature changes.

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Hemolytic Anemia

A common symptom of McLeod syndrome is hemolytic anemia, which is a disorder where an individual's red blood cells are destroyed at a faster rate than their body is able to replenish them. The mutation that causes an absence of the Kx antigen in McLeod syndrome patients results in the weak expression of kell antigens. Without kell antigens, abnormally shaped red blood cells or acanthocytes will form in the patient's bloodstream. Acanthocytes or spur cells are red blood cells that feature spiky projections of variable surface distribution and sizes. These spur cells tend to accumulate in the blood and crowd out healthy red blood cells in McLeod syndrome patients. In addition, these spur cells die off quicker than healthy red blood cells and have to be filtered from the blood by the spleen. The dead spur cells can accumulate in the spleen and cause it to swell or rupture. The fast rate of abnormal red blood cell apoptosis or death causes the affected individual's body to fall behind in healthy red blood cell production. When there are not enough healthy functioning red blood cells in circulation, the tissues around the body will not receive adequate oxygen delivery.

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