Erythrocyte Survival Studies by Differential Agglutination in Normal Pregnancy and in Pre-Eclamptic Toxaemia of Pregnancy

Edington, Robert F (1955) Erythrocyte Survival Studies by Differential Agglutination in Normal Pregnancy and in Pre-Eclamptic Toxaemia of Pregnancy. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

An attempt was made to elucidate the problem of the aetiology of the anaemia that often accompanies preeclamptic toxaemia of pregnancy and with a view to providing or disproving the occurrence of a haemolytic component in this anaemia, the length of survival of the human erythrocyte by a modification of the Ashby technique. Nine pregnant women were transfused with blood of a different group from their own and the patients' erythrocytes agglutinated by a suitable anti serum. The non-agglutinated cells were counted and charted at various time intervals after transfusion and a slope of elimination of cells produced. Two of the patients developed mild preeclamptic toxaemia of pregnancy and of the remaining patients, one was subjected to Caesarean Section and rejected from the study and six patients remained well. The life span of the erythrocyte in the two patients who developed toxaemia was normal compared to the life span of the erythrocytes in the six normal patients and the conclusion from these studies was that in mild pre-eclampsia there was no decrease in the survival of the red blood cell and thus no haemolytic component present. Suggestions were made for further research in more severe cases of pre-eclamptic toxaemia and for further investigations into the possible harm that might occur to erythrocytes withdrawn for transfusion when subjected to a decreased pressure.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: Medicine, Obstetrics
• Date of Award: 1955
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1955-79162
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 31 Mar 2020 09:09
• Last Modified: 31 Mar 2020 09:09
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/79162