An Evaluation of DFP32 and Cr51 as Methods of Measuring Red Cell Life Span in Man

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Abstract
DFP32 or Cr51 red cell survival studies were performed in 39 patients with hematologic disorders. In each case the erythrocyte life span was also determined using the C14-labeled glycine technic. Good agreement was found between the survival data obtained by the DFP32 and the glycine method. The red cell Cr51 T½ failed to reflect moderate shortening of red cell survival in a significant number of cases when a 25 day half-time was taken as the lower limit of normal. The occasional discrepancy between the erythrocyte life spans obtained with labeled glycine and the Cr51 halftime is probably the result of the limitations of the prevalent method of Cr51 data analysis and of the wide range of Cr51 elution rates in disease. Because of its simplicity and reliability, the DFP32 technics appears to be the method of choice for the determination of red cell survival.