title: Can hemozoin alone cause host anaemia?
abstract: Both schistosomes and malaria parasites produce hemozoin and cause host anaemia. However, the relationship between anaemia and hemozoin is unclear. Although some studies have proposed that hemozoin is related to anaemia in malaria patients, whether hemozoin alone can cause anaemia in patients infected by malaria parasites or schistosomes is uncertain. To investigate the effect of hemozoin on hosts, β-haematin was injected intravenously to normal mice. Then, liver and spleen tissues were observed. Mouse blood was examined. Red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and haemoglobin were analysed. Macrophage changes in the spleens and marrow cells were compared using immunofluorescence and H&E or Giemsa stain, respectively. We found that after 15 injections of β-haematin, a large amount of β-haematin was observed to deposit in the livers and spleens. Splenomegaly and bone marrow mild hyperplasia were detected. The average number of RBCs, average number of WBCs and average concentration of haemoglobin decreased significantly from 9.36 × 1012cells/L to 8.7 × 1012cells/L, 3.8 × 109cells/L to 1.7 × 109cells/L and 142.8 g/L to 131.8 g/L, respectively. In specific, the number of macrophages in the spleens greatly increased after β-haematin infection. The results showed that injections of β-haematin alone can cause anaemia possibly through hypersplenism.
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China. swksj@tongji.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Su-Wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang-Long
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xing-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dan-Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Tongji University School of Medicine, Siping Rd. No.1239, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chang-Le
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000469:parasitology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D006420:Hemeproteins; C020753:hemozoin
keywords: Anaemia; Hemozoin; Hypersplenism; Malaria parasites; Schistosomes; β-haematin