Cellular origins of the fetal-haemoglobin-containing cells of normal adults
Bunch, C.; Wood, W.G.; Weatherall, D.J.; Adamson, J.W.
Lancet 1(8127): 1163-1165
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 86885 Document Number: 149120
The origin of the small population of adult red cells which contain Hb F [fetal Hb] (F cells) was studied in a clonal disorder of hemopoiesis, polycythemia rubra vera (PRV). In 11 patients who had not received cytotoxic therapy F cells comprised < 0.1-11.9% of the circulating red cells, compared with 0.34-4.6% in 21 hematologically normal controls. Two additional patients were glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase heterozygotes in whom the clonal nature of the PRV could be demonstrated directly. They had F cell values of 2.1 and 8.3%. F cells apparently arise from the same population of stem cells as other adult red cells and not from a separate stem cell pool.