Erythropoiesis and Mean Red‐Cell Lifespan in Normal Subjects and in Patients with the Anaemia of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Recently developed ferrokinetic methods offer a tool to measure effective and ineffective erythropoiesis and mean red-cell lifespan. This tool was used to investigate erythropoiesis in normal subjects and in patients with anemia of active rheumatoid arthritis. In normal subjects the results were comparable to the results published by Cavill et al. In patients with anemia of active rheumatoid arthritis, there appeared to be a total and an effective red-cell production as in the normal subjects. The ineffective erythropoiesis in the patients was increased, and the produced red cells had a shortened mean lifespan in the circulation. The increased ineffective erythropoiesis was probably due to inadequate supply of iron to the marrow and the shortened mean red-cell lifespan to an extra-corpuscular hemolytic factor. The impaired marrow response to the anemia of active rheumatoid arthritis was confirmed.