Premium
Proliferation of Erythroblasts in Beta‐Thalassaemia
Author(s) -
Wickramasinghe S. N.,
McElwain T. J.,
Cooper E. H.,
Hardisty R. M.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1970.tb07017.x
Subject(s) - erythropoiesis , ineffective erythropoiesis , mitosis , feulgen stain , dna synthesis , cell growth , cell cycle , microbiology and biotechnology , dna , immunology , biology , apoptosis , andrology , medicine , chemistry , anemia , genetics
S ummary . Erythropoiesis has been studied by the technique of combined Feulgen microspectrophotometry and 3 H‐TdR autoradiography in nine children with β‐thalassaemia. A major kinetic aberration was demonstrated in the early polychromatic erythroblasts, which showed an accumulation in G 1 and a marked decrease in the proportion of cells in DNA synthesis, indicating an arrest of proliferation in these cells. In seven of the cases studied there was also an increased frequency of G 2 cells relative to the small number in DNA synthesis, suggesting a failure to enter mitosis. The death of these arrested cells could account for the ineffectiveness of erythropoiesis in this disease. Low serum folate levels were found in all the patients who were not already on folate therapy, but the disturbance in cell proliferation persisted after the administration of folic acid.