Studies of the Role of Red Cell Membrane Peroxidation in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria (PNH)*

Abstract

S ummary . No evidence was found to support the claimed role of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis and haemolysis in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) including iron‐induced episodes of gross haemoglobinuria. Therapy with the antioxidant vitamin E failed to influence the course of two patients with PNH. Three separate techniques for inducing lipid peroxidation failed to lower AChE of normal and PNH red cells and to induce susceptibility to in vitro PNH haemolytic tests in normal cells whether iron was added to the test system or not. Under peroxidatic stress, PNH cells did not generate abnormally high amounts of lipid peroxides as measured by malonaldehyde formation. Similar results were obtained with human red cells with induced high concentrations of protoporphyrin IX. Such studies do not, however, vitiate the concept that lipid peroxidation may play an important role in biologic ageing and cell destruction.