Studies on Erythrocytes in Cases with Past History of Favism and Drug-Induced Acute Hemolytic Anemia

Studies have been carried out on erythrocytes of cases with past history of acute hemolysis due to Favism, sulpha drugs or PAS.

No indication was found of abnormal osmotic or mechanical fragility, electrophoretic mobility of hemoglobin or its amino acid content. Similarly no abnormal glycolytic or catalase activities were detected.

Glutathione (GSH) deficiency of erythrocytes was discovered in all cases studied. Similarly, glutathione (GSH) deficiency was a frequent finding among the relatives of affected cases.

No such glutathione deficiency could be established in the cases of thalassemia major so far studied, though both patient-groups without any exception belong to the same ethnographic denomination (non-Ashkenazic).

This investigation was aided by a grant from the Israel Research Council.