title: Increased dense erythrocytes in flame-burned patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have studied dense erythrocytes separated on Arabinogalactan (Stractan) ultracentrifuged gradients in flame-burned patients and in normal individuals. In each case, the percentage of erythrocytes in the densest layers was increased when compared to age and sex matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using an in vitro system, we showed that as human whole blood is warmed to 48.6°C, the number of dense erythrocytes increases. In addition, the reduced glutathionine (GSH) content of the densest red blood cells is decreased compared to those in lighter fractions on the same gradient or to dense erythrocytes separated from blood incubated at room temperature. These dense red cells were largely composed of spherocytes and spheroechynocytes, two forms of erythrocytes which have been shown by others to have markedly abnormal flow characteristics in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated that in vivo dense erythrocytes can be generated in the setting of flame burns. Thus, the underlying reason may be oxidant injury as represented by the reduced level of GSH that we found in association with the generation of dense erythrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. asoavedra@partners.org
authors.forename: Arturo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Saavedra
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Warth
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Kathryn J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gelfand
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005978:Glutathione