Haem synthetase activity of human blood cells

Abstract

Specimens of human blood were selected from patients with a wide variety of diseases, which contained an absolute enrichement of different cell types. Increased haem synthetase activity was associated with increases in white blood cells or nucleated red cell precursors but not with increases in reticulocytes. The cell sap obtained from specimens of blood containing increased numbers of nucleated red cell precursors shows haem synthetase activity and this is greatly stimulated by ether. The significance of these findings is discussed with respect to the cellular distribution of the enzyme in normal and pathological blood.