Abstract
We have developed a simple technique for the three dimensional assessment of glutaraldehyde fixed erythrocytes partially immobilized in glycerol. In 24 adults, 70 ± 10% of erythroctes collected at room temperature were biconcave discs and 27 ± 10% were bowl shaped or stomatocytes. In 36 newborn infants (27 premature and 9 full-term) significantly fewer (43 ± 14%) cells were biconcave discs and 32 ± 13% were stomatocytes. Abnormally shaped erythrocytes were classified according to Bessis. In the infants, an average of 7.5% of the cells were echinocytes (range = 0-50%) as compared to significantly lower values in adults (mean = .75%; range = 0-4%). Abnormally shaped cells (including schizocytes, keratocytes, knizocytes and pitted cells) were significantly more frequent in infants (19 ± 8%) than in adults (2 ± 1.5%). We conclude, therefore, that erythrocyte morphology is distinctly different in infants as compared to adults. In addition, these findings suggest that erythrocyte morphology in disease can now be quantitated.
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Zipursky, A. ERYTHROCYTE MORPHOLOGY IN NEWBORN INFANTS A NEW LOOK. Pediatr Res 11, 483 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00681
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00681