title: Decreased sialic acid content of erythrocytes in patients with aplastic anaemia.
abstract: The sialic acid content of erythrocytes from patients with aplastic anaemia was determined and compared with those in patients with several haematological disorders and healthy individuals. The sialic acid was released enzymatically with Vibrio cholerae sialidase and quantitated by the thiobarbituric acid method (Aminoff, 1961). The sialic acid content of normal erythrocytes was 538 +/- 31 nmol/ml of packed erythrocytes. That of erythrocytes from patients with aplastic anaemia was 480 +/- 35 nmol/ml of packed erythrocytes, which was significantly lower than normal (P less than 0.01). In contrast, erythrocytes from patients with myeloproliferative disorders showed significantly (P less than 0.05) higher sialic acid contents (564 +/- 45 nmol/ml of packed erythrocytes). These results suggest that some membrane changes occur in erythrocytes in patients with these disorders.
mesh_terms: D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009196:Myeloproliferative Disorders / Q000097:blood; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012794:Sialic Acids