The Survival of Cr51-labelled Autogenous Erythrocytes in Children

Abstract

This appears to be the first report of study of survival time of erythrocytes in children using the technique of Cr51-labelled erythrocytes in normal children. Previous studies of survival of erythrocytes in normal children have utilized adult donor cells and the Ashby technique. This study includes 32 children between the ages of 2½ and 17 years. The studies were continued at least until the radioactivity fell to less than half of the level in the initial specimen, in 15 of the subjects. The data indicate that the half-initial-radioactivity time of Cr51-labelled autogenous erythrocytes in children lies within the range reported for healthy adults. In 13 patients this time ranged between 25 and 40 days, and for the remaining 2 of the 15 followed until radioactivity fell to less than one-half of the initial specimen, half times were 24 days. These values are similar to the normal survival time of adult blood introduced into normal children and the survival followed by the Ashby technique.