what is the cause of pnh?
What causes PNH? It is not fully understood why people develop PNH. Inside the bone marrow, blood cells are made by stem cells (the seed cells of the marrow). PNH occurs due to a change (or mutation) in a gene in one of the stem cells in the bone marrow. This mutation happens in a gene called PIG-A and the cells made by this stem cell lack certain proteins on their surface making them âweakerâ than normal blood cells.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria or PNH is a rare and chronic disease that results in an abnormal breakdown of red blood cells. PNH is due to a spontaneous genetic mutation that causes red blood cells to be deficient in a protein, leaving them fragile.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) may cause unpredictable episodes of acute red blood cell destruction (hemolysis). This occurs when a part of your immune system called complement attacks red blood cells that lack certain protective proteins.
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) definition and facts. PNH is a rare, chronic disease that causes rapid breakdown of red blood cells and can result in reddish or cola-colored urine, often seen in the early morning after urination. PNH is due to a spontaneous mutation in gene material. PNH is not inherited.