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Surface Microfragmentation of Red Cells as a Mechanism for Complement‐Mediated Immune Spherocytosis
Author(s) -
Brown D. L.,
Nelson D. A.
Publication year - 1973
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.1365-2141.1973.tb01654.x
Subject(s) - cytoplasm , hereditary spherocytosis , kupffer cell , red pulp , red cell , lysis , mononuclear phagocyte system , spherocytosis , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , vacuole , macrophage , biology , red blood cell , immune system , spleen , immunology , in vitro , medicine , splenectomy , biochemistry , genetics
S ummary . The adherence site between red cells and liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) was studied by light‐ and electron‐microscopy at intervals after the intravenous injection of complement‐coated red cells (EC43) into rabbits. The injected red cells adhered to the cytoplasm of the Kupffer cells and became grossly distorted at the point of contact. At an early stage (2 min post injection) protrusions from the red cells were surrounded by macrophage cytoplasm, while later (7–25 min post injection) round fragments of red cells were seen lying apparently separated in the Kupffer cell cytoplasm. The appearances seen suggest that the adherent red cells lose fragments or ‘microspheres’ to the Kupffer cells without lysis, and, as a result of a proportionally greater surface‐loss than volume‐loss, the adherent red cells become more spherical. The time course of such a microfragmentation process is consistent with the observation that spherocytes appear in the peripheral blood shortly afterwards.