Abstract
Five patients with myelofibrosis, including one case of secondary myelofibrosis with polycythemia vera were investigated clinically.
1. Age distribution ranged from 38 to 55 years. Three cases were female and two were male.
2. All patients showed similar clinical and laboratory findings to those reported by other authors.
3. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility was slightly increased in 4 cases.
4. Reduced glutathion (GSH) erythrocytes was increased in 5 cases. The elevated level of erythrocyte GSH was assumed to be resulted from an increased synthesis of GSH in erythrocytes of the extramedullary origin.
5. The determination of erythrocyte GSH and leukocyte alkaline phosphatase would be useful in differentiting myelofibrosis from chronic myelogenous leukemia.
