Moving boundary electrophoresis of red cells on differently treated polycythaemic patients.

Red cells of polycythaemia vera (PV) patients have a significantly higher rate of electrophoresis than red cells of normal controls and stress polycythaemia patients. The highest increment in the electrophoretic velocity was noted for PV patients treated with phlebotomy or hydroxy urea. The red cells of PV patients treated with 32P and those that progressed to myeloid metaplasia showed a normal rate of electrophoresis. We assume that the increased negative charge found on the red cells of PV patients is typical of the abnormal clone proliferating in this disease. The normal electrophoretic velocity found for the red cells of the 32P treated patients or those that progressed to myeloid metaplasia might indicate that the circulating red cells of these patients are no longer descendants of the abnormal stem cell.