Neocytes and neocyte-gerocyte exchange.
Patients requiring chronic transfusions deposit large quantities of iron throughout their reticuloendothelial and parenchymal systems. Diabetes mellitus, hepatic fibrosis, and cardiomyopathy are the ultimate pathologic manifestations. One mechanism for decreasing the rate of iron loading would be to transfuse only the youngest cohort of cells from a donor (neocytes). At the same time the patient's oldest red cells are being removed (neocyte-gerocyte exchange). In this manuscript we describe techniques presently available for such a procedure.
D000293:Adolescent; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002469:Cell Separation; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000628:therapy
D006454:Hemoglobins; D007501:Iron