The Quantitative Distribution of the Erythron and the RE Cell in the Bone Marrow Organ of Man

Studies of the quantitative distribution of the RES and the erythron in the bone marrow of the pelvis and lower extremities were performed in a 52 year old male undergoing hemicorpectomy. ¹⁹⁸Au colloid and transferrin bound ⁵⁹Fe were injected 24 hours prior to disarticulation of the lower skeleton. Thirty-three per cent of the injected ⁵⁹Fe and 3.2 per cent of the injected ¹⁹⁸Au-colloid was recovered in the excised skeleton. By calculation approximately 84 per cent of the injected ⁵⁹Fe and 8 per cent of the ¹⁹⁸Au was deposited in the total body marrow. The spatial distribution of ¹⁹⁸Au and ⁵⁹Fe activity was essentially the same in each bone and in multiple small sections of them. The results support the concept that in normal situations the quantitative distribution of the RES and the erythron in the bone marrow organ of man is essentially identical and that radioisotope photoscanning of the marrow using radiocolloids does depict the quantitative distribution of the erythropoietic marrow.