Hemolysis. Which thing 1st lyses the RBCs?

[BlondeCookie]

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This is going to be a really dumb question, but I've looked around everywhere (including Robbins) for the pathology on this, but I can't find it. I must be missing something. OK here goes...

What enzymes or cells initially lyses the RBCs at the end of their 120 day life cycle. Robbins says that RBCs are broken down into hemoglobin primarily in the spleen, then it travels to the liver for further processing. I just want to know what exactly breaks the RBC down in the spleen. Are they Kupffer cells or something else?

 

[pathman2006]

CD47 is the mechanism. lack of it targets the rbc destruction by the macropahges
when the rbcs are destroyed (i.e. increased like seen in hemolytic anemia you should see the following "classic labs"
increased serum LDH, K, free hgb, schistocytes (on peripheral blood smear(PBS))
decreased haptoglobin

 

[BlondeCookie]

CD47 is the mechanism. lack of it targets the rbc destruction by the macropahges
when the rbcs are destroyed (i.e. increased like seen in hemolytic anemia you should see the following "classic labs"
increased serum LDH, K, free hgb, schistocytes (on peripheral blood smear(PBS))
decreased haptoglobin

Yes! Thank you very much. So, it is the tissue macrophages in the spleen that 1st lyse the RBCs. Can you help me with the pathology after that? Hemoglobin gets broken down into heme + globin, but does the hemoglobin get lysed intravscularly or in the spleen? What enzyme does this?