Comparison of red cell creatine level and reticulocyte count in appraising
the severity of hemolytic processes
J Fehr and M Knob
In seeking a sensitive indicator for quantitative assessment of hemolytic
disease, we found a close dependence of red cell creatine level on cell
age. Studies in 21 patients with steady-state hemolysis showed high
correlation (r=0.89, p less than 0.001) between reticulocyte counts and red
cell creatine levels. Excluding elevation of the creatine level as a
variable epiphenomenon of increased erythropoietic activity, density
separation of normal red cells revealed distinctly higher creatine levels
in younger cells. The reticulocyte counts and creatine levels as
quantitative predictors of hemolytic processes were compared: in severe
hemolytic anemias (T50Cr less than 11 days), erythrocyte survival (T50Cr)
correlated well with creatine levels (r = -0.86, p less than 0.01) and, to
a lesser degree, with reticulocyte counts (r = -0.72, p less than 0.05). In
milder disease (T50Cr greater than 11 days), however, no correlation
existed between reticulocyte counts and T50Cr, whereas the creating levels
correlated closely with T50Cr (r = -0.84, p less than 0.001). Thus, on the
basis of our regression equations, useful estimation of red cell survival
may be obtained from single measurements of erythrocyte creatine.
Volume 53,
Issue 5,
pp. 966-976,
05/01/1979
Copyright © 1979 by The American Society of Hematology
