Which condition occurs when the body does not recognize its own red blood cells and they are destroyed by B cells?

• A. Pernicious anemia
• B. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• C. Myasthenia gravis
• D. Multiple sclerosis

Answer: (B)

In this situation, the body’s immune system misidentifies its own red blood cells as foreign. B cells then produce autoantibodies that attach to red blood cells, tagging them for destruction. This leads to hemolysis and anemia, which is the hallmark of autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The other conditions involve autoimmune attacks on different tissues—pernicious anemia targets stomach cells and B12 absorption, myasthenia gravis targets the neuromuscular junction, and multiple sclerosis targets myelin in the central nervous system—so they don’t describe RBC destruction by antibodies.