Isolation of Erythrocytes with Normal Protoporphyrin Levels in Erythropoietic Protoporphyria

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Abstract
In erythropoietic protoporphyria less than half the circulating erythrocytes fluoresce, but all erythrocytes hemolyze in vitro on exposure to 400 nanometer radiation. It was shown that 400 nanometer irradiation of mixtures of normal erythrocytes with erythrocytes from patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria leads to photohemolysis of all erythrocytes in the same mixture, presumably owing to the transfer of protoporphyrin. The photosensitization of the normal erythrocytes could be prevented by the addition of albumin. Erythrocytes from patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria, with the addition of albumin, could be separated into two populations, one with an elevated and the other with a normal protoporphyrin level.