Review of Methods for Studying Maturation of Human Erythroblasts in Vitro: Evaluation of a New Method of Culture of Cell Suspensions in a Clot-Free Medium

Characteristics of various tissue and cell culture methods for studyingmaturation of human erythroblasts were reviewed and the basic assumptions required in their use were examined.

The relationship of maturation and proliferation of erythroblasts in different types of cultures was considered.

Criteria for selection of an in vitro model for studying maturation wereestablished. A new clot-free culture system in roller tubes was found tobe superior to those previously described because of convenience, replicabilityand adaptability to studies of proliferation.

The results of challenging the new culture system with various typesof cell-plasma relationships indicated that it was effective in distinguishingamong erythroblasts and plasmas of iron deficiency anemia, thalassemia,azotemia and erythrocytosis, and that the deductions arrived at were similarto those derived from the use of less convenient in vitro systems in whichdifferent parameters of maturation were used.

Experience with the new method suggests that it may be useful in thestudy of humoral factors affecting maturation of human erythroblasts.

The chief limitation of the proposed method, as for other in vitro methods,is that only direct effects of humoral agents on erythroblasts can be studied.

Submitted on December 17, 1958 Accepted on February 21, 1959