SOME LESSONS FROM THE RED BLOOD CELL*†

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-53-5-924

SOME LESSONS FROM THE RED BLOOD CELL*†

LAWRENCE E. YOUNG, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Requests for reprints should be addressed to Lawrence E. Young, M.D., Department of Medicine, The University of Rochester Medical Center,
Rochester 20, N. Y.

Excerpt

As a teacher of medicine, I find it necessary every day to stimulate interest in the whole patient on the one hand, and in cellular structure and physiology on the other. One of the reasons the study of medicine becomes more fascinating each year is that we can now begin to sketch, albeit crudely, some probable courses of events by which abnormalities within certain cells may lead to manifestations of disease in many parts of the body. Recent studies on the red cell may be regarded as prototypes, as examples of what we may expect in the future from application

Summario in Interlingua

Le erythrocyto es un complexe e altemente organisate cellula vive que occasiona le apprension de multe lectiones de physiologia cellular, de genetica, e de Pathogenese.

Le preservationistas de sanguine esseva inter le primes qui signalava le requirimento de un continue production de energia intra le erythrocyto pro le mantenentia del viabilitate cellular. Disturbationes del metabolismo intra le erythrocytos esseva solo recentemente recognoscite como factores essential in le Pathogenese de certe statos hemolytic. Es notate particularmente le entitate de spherocytosis hereditari e le anemias hemolytic de classe pharmacogene que ambes es illustrationes classic del interaction de hereditate e ambiente in le genese de maladia. In spherocytosis hereditari, le splen provide un ambiente disfavorabile resultante in le destruction de inherentemente defective erythrocytos. In subjectos susceptibile de suffrer hemolyse pharmacogene, le anormalitates biochimic del erythrocytos non es manifeste usque le cellulas es provocate per certe drogas, como per exemplo primaquina.

Ab le puncto de vista del gruppos de sanguine, duo importante lectiones es citate. Un es le rolo de tres pares de genes modificatori in le mechanismo de expressivitate del genes A, B, e O, le quales determina le disveloppamento del antigenos A, B, e H in everythrocytos e fluidos del corpore. Le secunde es le interessante evento del recente demonstration del acquisition de antigeno B per erythrocytos de gruppo A in certe subjectos, generalmente de etate avantiate e/o suffrente de cancere. Iste constatation es un exemplo del multiple vias per le quales un substantia particular pote esser producite o acquirite per le corpore.

Currentemente le erythrocyto es al capite del parada de demonstrationes de heterogeneitate o de differentiation inter statos anormal que previemente esseva considerate como homogenee. Fascinante exemplos es a trovar inter le hemoglobinopathias, in le methemoglobinemias hereditari, in spherocytosis, e in thalassemia. Le ultime objectivo de tal demonstrationes de heterogeneitate es le identification de anormalitates intra le cellula al nivello molecular.

Certe anormalitates metabolic que es commun al erythrocyto e al altere cellulas del corpore pote esser demonstrate multo plus facilemente in le erythrocyto proque le prisa de specimens de illo se effectua plus facilemente. Excellente exemplos de isto se trova in le area del carentia de thiamina e de galactosemia.

Un altere arena biologic in que studios del erythrocytos provide resultatos de interesse es le rapidemente crescente dominio del investigationes del processo invetulatori. Viste que—presumitemente—le invetulation debe esser explicate in parte al nivello cellular e viste que le erythrocytos inter omne le cellulas del corpore es le plus facilemente a speciminar, le recente studios del invetulation de populationes de erythrocytos e del differentias que occurre in erythrocytos in relation al etate del donator es digne de nota.

Article and Author Information

↵* Received for publication April 29, 1960.
From the Department of Medicine, The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and the Medical Service of the Strong Memorial Hospital.
↵† Preparation of this paper was aided by grants from the Department of the Army, Office of the Surgeon General, and from the U. S. Public Health Service.