Quantification of red blood cell fragmentation: usefulness of heating cells and of automatic counting devices.
Spontaneous red blood cell (RBC) fragmentation occurs in some membrane erythropathies like hereditary elliptocytosis (HE); this phenomenon is produced in normal RBC by heating at 49 degrees C, but not at temperatures below this limit; fragmentation is usually quantified by counting the number of fragments/1000 RBC under light microscopic examination. The present work demonstrates: i) that enumeration of fragments is performed more precisely with an automatic blood cells counter on the 'platelet' channel; and ii) that heating at 48 degrees C enhances the fragmentation of RBC when they have a severe disruption of skeletal lattice, like in HE.
Guetarni
D
D
Service d'Hématologie, Centre Pierre et Marie Curie, Algiers, Algeria.
Zerhouni
F
F
Beldjord
K
K
Henni
T
T
Godet
J
J
Colonna
P
P
D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000379:methods; D004612:Elliptocytosis, Hereditary / Q000097:blood; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000097:blood