Recently, an article with the title “Hemolysis contributes to anemia during long-duration space flight” by Trudel et al. has been published in Nature Medicine. The authors propose that accelerated hemolysis of circulating red blood cells (RBCs) significantly contributes to “space anemia.” After monitoring Hb-concentration [Hb] and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) in 14 astronauts during 5 months-long space missions on the International Space Station (ISS), and up to one year after return, they base this conclusion on an ≈11% decrease in [Hb] between pre- and post-mission values, together with a ≈50% increase in the rate of CO elimination, which was entirely ascribed to extravascular hemolysis of RBCs. In our opinion, their interpretation is not consistent with the data, and we believe that the term “anemia” is not justified, because [Hb] was at most decreased to low-normal. We propose here alternative explanations both for the low [Hb] and for the elevation of exhaled CO, which, of course, require future experimental proof.
Space anemia unexplained: Red blood cells seem to be space-proof
Minetti, Giampaolo
;
2022-01-01
Abstract
Recently, an article with the title “Hemolysis contributes to anemia during long-duration space flight” by Trudel et al. has been published in Nature Medicine. The authors propose that accelerated hemolysis of circulating red blood cells (RBCs) significantly contributes to “space anemia.” After monitoring Hb-concentration [Hb] and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) in 14 astronauts during 5 months-long space missions on the International Space Station (ISS), and up to one year after return, they base this conclusion on an ≈11% decrease in [Hb] between pre- and post-mission values, together with a ≈50% increase in the rate of CO elimination, which was entirely ascribed to extravascular hemolysis of RBCs. In our opinion, their interpretation is not consistent with the data, and we believe that the term “anemia” is not justified, because [Hb] was at most decreased to low-normal. We propose here alternative explanations both for the low [Hb] and for the elevation of exhaled CO, which, of course, require future experimental proof.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
