Measurement of erythropoiesis using 52Fe

A method for determining erythropoiesis quantitatively with 52Fe has been applied to 25 patients with anaemia. The data were derived from quantitative scanning of the erythropoietic areas and the measurement of the plasma iron turnover. We have assessed this 52Fe measurement of erythropoiesis by comparing it with total marrow iron turnover studies. Both methods give similar estimates of erythropoiesis except in patients with severe ineffective erythropoiesis and in a patient with significant peripheral haemolysis, when erythropoiesis as measured with the 52Fe technique gave higher results. In these conditions, the estimate of total erythropoiesis might be more reliable using the 52Fe quantitative scanning technique. However, the measurement of erythropoiesis with 52Fe does not distinguish effective from ineffective erythropoiesis and cannot be applied to patients with extramedullary erythropoiesis.