Membrane Protein Detection and Morphological Analysis of Red Blood Cells in Hereditary Spherocytosis by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy


Por: Rey-Barroso L, Roldan-Molina M, Burgos-Fernández FJ, Isola I, Ruiz-Llobet A, Gassiot S, Sarrate E and Vilaseca MA

Publicada: 5 abr 2023 Aceptada: 20 dic 2022
Categoría: Instrumentation

Resumen:
In hereditary spherocytosis (HS), genetic mutations in the cell membrane and cytoskeleton proteins cause structural defects in red blood cells (RBCs). As a result, cells are rigid and misshapen, usually with a characteristic spherical form (spherocytes), too stiff to circulate through microcirculation regions, so they are prone to undergo hemolysis and phagocytosis by splenic macrophages. Mild to severe anemia arises in HS, and other derived symptoms like splenomegaly, jaundice, and cholelithiasis. Although abnormally shaped RBCs can be identified under conventional light microscopy, HS diagnosis relies on several clinical factors and sometimes on the results of complex molecular testing. It is specially challenging when other causes of anemia coexist or after recent blood transfusions. We propose two different approaches to characterize RBCs in HS: (i) an immunofluorescence assay targeting protein band 3, which is affected in most HS cases and (ii) a three-dimensional morphology assay, with living cells, staining the membrane with fluorescent dyes. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to carry out both assays, and in order to complement the latter, a software was developed for the automated detection of spherocytes in blood samples. CLSM allowed the precise and unambiguous assessment of cell shape and protein expression.
ISSN: 14319276





MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS
Editorial
OXFORD UNIV PRESS, GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND, Reino Unido
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 29 Número: 2
Páginas: 777-785
WOS Id: 000984270700030
ID de PubMed: 37749743
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