What Causes Aplastic Anemia?

Aplastic anemia is caused by damage to stem cells in the bone marrow. Stem cells normally develop into three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. When stem cells are damaged, they do not grow into healthy blood cells.

In more than half of people with aplastic anemia, the cause of the damage to stem cells is unknown. Some research suggests that stem cell damage may occur because the body’s immune system attacks its own cells by mistake.

Causes of Acquired Aplastic Anemia

The cause of acquired aplastic anemia has been linked to outside agents, as well as to diseases. Outside agents include toxins such as pesticides, arsenic, and benzene; radiation and chemotherapy used to treat cancer; and medicines such as chloramphenicol, an antibiotic now rarely used in the United States. Infectious diseases also can cause aplastic anemia. Some of these diseases are hepatitis, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus (si-to-MEG-a-lo-VI-rus), parvovirus B19, and HIV. Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (ROO-ma-toyd ar-THRI-tis), also can cause this condition.

Causes of Hereditary Aplastic Anemia

Some inherited genetic disorders can lead to aplastic anemia. These include Fanconi anemia, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, and dyskeratosis congenita.