Triangulocytes in Alcoholism

Abstract

To the Editor.— The morphological red blood cell (RBC) abnormalities reported in alcoholism include macrocytes,1macro-ovalocytes,1target cells,2spur cells,3stomatocytes,4polychromasia,5and spherocytes as seen in the Zieve syndrome.6Macrocytes and macro-ovalocytes are usually associated with folic acid deficiency. Target and spur cells are secondary to an alteration in the cholesterol and lecithin in the RBC membrane.2,3Stomatocytes occur as a transient abnormality in acute alcoholics, but are also found in a rare inherited hemolytic disease with a defect in the protein kinase mediated phorphorylation of erythrocyte membrane proteins and associated disturbance in RBC cation content.7The polychromasia results from increased reticulocytosis and the spherocytes are probably related to the presence of abnormal lipids that seem to alter the RBC membrane making them more fragile.8 Five hundred RBC from each of seven alcoholic patients were evaluated and compared with