Eryptosis is induced by hyperthermia in hereditary spherocytosis red blood cells

Abstract

In pediatric hereditary spherocytosis (HS) patients, anemiafrequently worsens throughout the course of infectiousdiseases, due either to increased hemolysis or to transitoryerythropoietic aplasia [1]. Hemolysis may be so importantthat even asymptomatic individuals can incidentally bediagnosed with HS during a hemolytic crisis secondary tofebrile disease [2]. It has been reported that HS children,especially those under 6 years old, frequently suffer hemolyticcrises triggered by viral infections [2-4]. These reports,along with usual clinical practice, suggest a potentialharmful effect of temperature on erythrocytes which mayaffect their survival.Increasing evidence is now available to demonstratethat erythrocytes can also undergo premature self-destructionthrough a mechanism known as eryptosis, whichshares several features with nucleated-cell apoptosis.Since this process may be accelerated by different environmentalfactors, we decided to study whether hyperthermia "per se" has a direct effect on HS erythrocytes.