Prednisone is commonly used to treat which type of anemia?

• A. Iron deficiency anemia.
• B. Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
• C. Aplastic anemia.
• D. Sideroblastic anemia.

Answer: (B)

Prednisone is used to suppress the immune system in conditions where the body attacks its own red cells. In immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, autoantibodies bind to red blood cells, marking them for destruction by the spleen and other phagocytes, which leads to hemolysis and anemia. Corticosteroids like prednisone decrease autoantibody production and blunt the immune processes driving the destruction, allowing red cells to survive longer and the anemia to improve. This approach is especially effective for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, where most patients respond to steroids. In contrast, iron deficiency anemia results from low iron and needs iron replacement, aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure requiring other immunosuppressive strategies or transplantation, and sideroblastic anemia involves defective heme synthesis with different treatments.