Fetal hemoglobin in polycythemia vera: cellular distribution in 50
unselected patients
R Hoffman, T Papayannopoulou, S Landaw, LR Wasserman, QB DeMarsh, P Chen and G Stamatoyannopoulos
Fetal hemoglobin was studied in 50 unselected patients with polycythemia
vera with chemical determinations of Hb F and measurements of F-cell levels
using fluorescent anti-Hb F antibodies. Although in the majority of the
patients Hb F production did not differ from that in normal controls, in
20% of the patients F-cell values were above the normal range. There was no
correlation between F-cell values and duration of disease, treatment
modality, presence of myelofibrosis, or hematologic parameters at the time
of study. In 5 of 50 patients 30%-- 45% of the erythrocytes contained Hb F;
such striking elevations of F cells may reflect a distorted differentiation
of erythroid precursor cells in certain patients with this disorder.
Volume 53,
Issue 6,
pp. 1148-1155,
06/01/1979
Copyright © 1979 by The American Society of Hematology
