The Sites of Hemoglobin Catabolism

Hemoglobin is cleared from plasma principally by the liver, moderately by the marrow, and relatively little by the spleen or other organs. Haptoglobin binding has no effect on this relative distribution, its only discernible role in hemoglobin clearance or catabolism being that of preventing the renal loss of hemoglobin.

When bone marrow is depleted of parenchymal cells, as by cytotoxic chemicals or protein deprivation, its ability to take up hemoglobin from plasma is markedly enhanced.