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The Relationship of Red Cell Membrane Lipid Content to Red Cell Morphology and Survival in Patients with Liver Disease *
Author(s) -
Powell Lawrie W.,
Halliday June W.,
Knowles Brian R.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1975.tb03636.x
Subject(s) - medicine , red cell , cell , morphology (biology) , erythrocyte membrane , disease , pathology , gastroenterology , membrane , biochemistry , biology , zoology
Summary: The relationship of red blood cell (RBC) membrane lipid content to RBC morphology and survival was studied in patients with liver disease. An increase in RBC cholesterol and phospholipid was detected in most patients with hepatocellular disease or cholestatic jaundice but the alteration in RBC lipid content did not correlate with RBC survival. The main abnormality of RBC morphology observed was the presence of macrocytes and target cells. In a small proportion of patients (approximately 3%) with severe hepatocellular disease, significant numbers of severely deformed (“spur”) cells were seen. In these patients haemolysis was moderately severe and the RBC lipid profile showed increased membrane cholesterol without a concomitant increase in phospholipids. It is concluded that only in patients with “spur” cell anaemia do the morphological alterations lead to premature removal of cells from the circulation. The cause of the shortened RBC survival in jaundiced patients without “spur” cells remains to be determined.