Hemoglobin concentration and erythrocyte cation content.

Abstract

Abstract Although erythrocytes provide the most readily available source of cell fluid, data from analysis of these cells have not been helpful in the evaluation of patients with disorders in water and electrolyte metabolism. The lack of distinct correlation between erythrocyte potassium and deficits in body potassium may be a consequence of the failure to take into account the relationship between erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration and red cell cations. This relationship has been quantitated by studying the blood of 57 normal children and 28 with iron-deficiency anemia. None of these children had disorders in water or electrolyte metabolism. A direct method of analysis was used with radioiodinated human serum albumin as a tracer for the plasma trapped with the centrifuged red cells. An unexpected finding was that the quantity of plasma trapped with the centrifuged red cells varied inversely with erythrocyte hemoglobin (r = −0.824). There was good correlation in the relationship between erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration and potassium per kilogram of red blood cells (r = −0.811). The correlation coefficients for the relationships between erythrocyte hemoglobin and sodium and magnesium per kilogram of red blood cells (RBC) were 0.071 and −0.121, respectively. The red cells from the anemic patients contained significantly more potassium and more water per kilogram of RBC and per 100 Gm. of RBC solids than those from normal children. The concentration of potassium in red cell water was also significantly increased in the erythrocytes from the anemic children. The increase in the concentration of cations in these anemic erythrocytes was of roughly the magnitude to be expected as a result of the decrease in the osmotic coefficient of hemoglobin with the fall in erythrocyte hemoglobin concentration.