Studies on the anemia of the Shay chloroleukemia

The pathogenesis of the anemia which occurs in rats bearing the Shay chloroleukemia (SCL) was investigated. Severe anemia, shown not to result from hemodilution, developed in the terminal stage of the disease. The rapid progression of the anemia suggested that reduced erythropoiesis was of no more than minor importance in the development of this anomaly. No evidence for a major hemolytic event was observed. Data are presented which suggest that hemostatic defects may be primarily responsible for the anemia of SCL. Because of many similarities with the pathogenesis of human myelogenous leukemia, SCL is proposed as a useful model for further studies on interreactions between the leukemic environment and the erythrocyte population.