With a view of making clear the causes and the mechanisms of anemias seen in various diseases, the life spans of transfused red cells were studied by using Ashby method.
That is, 300-500 c. c. of O-type blood was transfused into human subjects having another blood types A, B and AB during three to five days. The red cell count on the day succeeding the transfusion was estimated as 100 per cent, and the days required for the decrease of the transfused erythrocytes to 10 per cent were counted and compared.
In six cases of normal subjects (male 5, female 1) that had received the transfusion from the normal persons, the periods for the decrease were from 83 to 102 days.
Fourteen patients of aplastic anemia received the blood from normal persons. In about one-third of these patients the life spans of red cells were equal to those in the normal persons, and in another patients with gìngival bleeding, epistaxis, subcutaneous hemorrhage, such were from 50 to 60 days.
Especially, in cases with severe hemorrhagic diathesis among the latter, the count of transfused red cells have decreased under 10 per cent during from thirteen to seventeen days and in these example wear and tear of the erythrocytes was two to seven times more than in normal subjects.
On the other hand, in seven cases of normal persons received the blood from the patients of aplastic anemia, the life spans of transfused erythrocytes were normal.
Then, in all seven cases of acute myeloid leukemia was seen moderate shortening of life spans combined with hemorrhagic diathesis.
Among four cases of chronic myeloid leukemia, two patients showed normal values on life span of transfused erythrocytes and another two patients showed shortening.
In one case of the latter, “nitromine” (a derivative of Nitrogen mustard) was used. Shrinkage of spleen, temporal increase of transfused red cells in the cirulating blood were observed and their life spans remained normal.
In cases of iron defficiency anemia, chronic nephritis and subacute bacterial endocarditis, any sign which indicates the increase of erythrocytic destruction was not observed.
In 5 cases of patients wirh Banti's syndrome the life spans of transfused erythrocytes had been remarkably shortened before splenctomy, but returned to normal values after the splenectomy.
Red blood cells of normal person transfused into a patient with anemia due to lead-poisoning survived for normal length and vice verva.
In one acquired hemolytic anemia, transfused red blood cells decreased to below 10 per cent in 19 days; in a case of pernicious anemia 59 days, and in a patient of Hodgikins disease 50 days.
