The Hemolytic Anemia of Human Bartonellosis

A study of the processes of formation and destruction of blood has beencarried out, in addition to other investigations of the physiopathology of theanemia of human bartonellosis. From the results obtained the following conclusions may be drawn:

1. The life-span of the red cells parasitized by Bartonella bacilliformis isgreatly shortened. However, not all the parasitized red cells are prematurelydestroyed.

2. Red cells from normal subjects are partially destroyed when they are injected into infected patients. More than 50 per cent of them survive normally.

3. The mechanical fragility of the red cells is increased in the majority ofthe cases.

4. The index of sequestration of red cells by the liver and spleen was increased in the three patients studied. Also, the products of catabolism of hemoglobin were increased in all the patients studied.

5. The increased production of red cells as a response to the great destructionwas prevented at first, but later it reached its peak, being in some cases fivetimes greater than normal.

6. The search for agglutinins and hemolysins was negative.

7. The amount of free protoporphyrins in the red cells was increased, indicating that there was some interference to the synthesis of hemoglobin thatwould also explain the hypochromia of the red cells.

8. The increase in the diameter of the red cells was independent of the actualamount of reticulocytes.

Submitted on November 23, 1960 Accepted on February 12, 1961