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Significance of Large Red Blood Cells
Author(s) -
Chanarin I.,
England J. M.,
Hoffbrand A. V.
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.tb01746.x
Subject(s) - mean corpuscular volume , megaloblastic anemia , megaloblastic anaemia , medicine , red cell , aplastic anemia , haematopoiesis , vitamin b12 , gastroenterology , bone marrow , immunology , pathology , biology , hematocrit , stem cell , genetics
S ummary . Two observers examining marrow films from 81 patients for the presence of normoblastic and megaloblastic haemopoiesis obtained good agreement when the underlying disorder gave rise to definite vitamin B 12 or folate deficiency confirmed by microbiological assay. When microbiological assay of serum vitamin B 12 and red cell folate excluded vitamin B 12 or folate deficiency, the marrow changes were often too minor in degree for decisive diagnosis despite the presence in many cases of large red cells. The normal mean corpuscular volume (MCV) set in relation to a PCV excluding trapped plasma was 80–90 fl. The MCV of red cells was often elevated above 90 fl in patients without a megaloblastic anaemia and in this series was often above 100 fl in patients with aplastic anaemia, sideroblastic anaemia, myxoedema, and neoplasia. The larger the red cells, however, the more probable was the presence of megaloblastic haemopoiesis in the marrow.