The Distribution of Hemoglobin Types in Thalassemic Erythrocytes*

Influence of hemoglobin precipitation on erythrocyte metabolism in alpha and beta thalassemia

“…As expected (1,2,4,29), the young cells were in the top layers and the older cells in the bottom fractions.! Glucose metabolism in young and old cells.…”

“…The rates of total glucose consumption, lactate production, glucose oxidation by the HMPS, and reduction of methemoglobin with methylene blue and glucose are shown in Table I. 2 The authors are grateful to Dr. Frederick Stohlman, Jr.…”

“…Hence, any population of thalassemic erythrocytes which contains a higher hemoglobin F concentration than that of another sample of cells from the same individual must have an older mean age. Advantage was taken of this fact by Loukopoulos and Fessas (2) in their studies of the nature of hemoglobin distribution in beta thalassemia. It has been further substantiated by the present studies of the distributions of these hemoglobins and of G6PD and GOT activities in centrifuged beta thalassemic blood samples.…”

“…The erythrocytes of patients with beta thalassemia and hemoglobin H disease can be separated by centrifugation into young and old cohorts (1)(2)(3)(4). In beta thalassemia the young cells contain less hemoglobin F (2,3) and, if the patient is splenectomized, more insoluble membrane-bound inclusions of precipitated alpha chains (4)(5)(6)(7).…”

“…In beta thalassemia the young cells contain less hemoglobin F (2,3) and, if the patient is splenectomized, more insoluble membrane-bound inclusions of precipitated alpha chains (4)(5)(6)(7). In hemoglobin H disease, the young cells contain more soluble hemoglobin H, whereas inclusions of precipitated beta chains are detected in the older cells (1,4,8,9).…”