QUANTITATIVE STUDIES OF THE EFFECT OF RED-BLOOD-CELL SENSITIZATION ON IN VIVO HEMOLYSIS*

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Abstract
The quantitative relationships between erythrocyte sensitization and survival were studied by the techniques of Cr51-labeled red-cell survival and the radioactive antiglobulin (RAG) test. The two major types of red-cell antibodies, isoantibodies and autoantibodies, have two types of behavior, serologic and biologic, regardless of their serologic attributes. These antibodies had distinctive effects on erythrocyte survival. Even antibodies of the same serologic specificity had different effects on in vivo hemolysis. This biologic attribute was termed "hemolytic effectiveness." When either isoantibodies or autoantibodies from different individuals were studied, there was no correlation between the amount of antibody absorbed by erythrocytes and their survival time. In 10 of 15 cases of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, however, there was a positive correlation between the survival time of the patient''s red cells in himself and their survival time in a normal person. This finding is interpreted as indicating that in these cases, the major cause of the abnormal hemolysis was the autoantibody.