Ferrokinetics in patients with malaria: haemoglobin synthesis and normoblasts in vitro

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Abstract
Bone marrow cultures in 15 Plasmodium falciparum patients were studied both during and after parasitaemia. Abnormalities were observed only in the group during parasitaemia. These abnormalities included: (1) decreased normoblastic number and cellular iron incorporation in all cases; (2) premature death of normoblasts during their development in the cultures in all cases; (3) defective haemoglobin synthesis in 3 of 11 cases (27%). A causal relationship between defective haemoglobin synthesis and degree of normoblastic destruction in the cultures was found. Marked anaemia and depressed C′3 level were found only in the group with defective haemoglobin synthesis. The significance of these findings is discussed.

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