Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Erythropoiesis versus inflammation in Hereditary Spherocytosis clinical outcome
Susana Rocha1, Elísio Costa2, Petronila Rocha-Pereira3
1Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Aníbal Cunha, 164, 4050-047, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180, Porto, Portugal.
Objectives:
This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between erythropoiesis and inflammation, in Hereditary Spherocytosis (HS) clinical outcome.
Design And Methods:
We studied 26 controls and 82 HS patients presenting mild (n = 49) and severer (n = 33) HS forms. We evaluated plasma levels of EPO, sTfR, ferritin, iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, TNF-α, IFN-γ, elastase and lactoferrin; leukocyte and reticulocyte counts and RPI were determined.
Results:
All HS patients showed significantly higher EPO, sTfR, reticulocytes and RPI but only mild HS presented normal hemoglobin levels; the positive significant correlations between EPO and sTfR, reticulocytes and RPI observed in mild HS were not observed in severer HS patients. HS patients presented with higher levels of neutrophils, TNF-α, IFN-γ, elastase, lactoferrin and ferritin.
Conclusions:
Our data show HS as a disease linked to enhanced erythropoiesis that is disturbed in the more severe forms, to which inflammation may contribute, at least in part.
Related Concept Videos
01:14Erythropoiesis
01:14Erythropoiesis
01:27Disorders of Erythrocytes
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...
01:24Factors Affecting Erythropoiesis
Several factors influence the erythrocyte production rate, with tissue oxygen level being among the most critical. Intense exercise or high altitudes can cause tissue hypoxia, which triggers the kidneys to release more erythropoietin (EPO) into the bloodstream.
EPO then...
01:01Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
01:22Lifecycle of Erythrocytes
The resident phagocytic macrophages deal with these damaged cells by engulfing them and separating their globin and heme groups.