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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Measurement of Heme Synthesis Levels in Mammalian Cells
Published on: July 9, 2015
Human heme oxygenase-1 deficiency presenting with hemolysis, nephritis, and asplenia
Nita Radhakrishnan1, Satya Prakash Yadav, Anupam Sachdeva
1Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology Oncology and BMT Unit, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress-induced enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of heme to biliverdin. The primary deficiency of this enzyme has been shown in HO-1 knockout mice, and is characterized by intrauterine death and chronic inflammation. The first case of human HO-1 deficiency was reported in 1999. Human HO-1 deficiency has been observed to involve the endothelial cells more severely, resulting in hemolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. We report another case of human HO-1 deficiency in a young girl with congenital asplenia, who presented with severe hemolysis, inflammation, nephritis, which was refractory to therapy with corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab.
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress-induced enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of heme to biliverdin. The primary deficiency of this enzyme has been shown in HO-1 knockout mice, and is characterized by intrauterine death and chronic inflammation. The first case of human HO-1 deficiency was reported in 1999. Human HO-1 deficiency has been observed to involve the endothelial cells more severely, resulting in hemolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. We report another case of human HO-1 deficiency in a young girl with congenital asplenia, who presented with severe hemolysis, inflammation, nephritis, which was refractory to therapy with corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab.
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