With the exception of mammals, vertebrate erythrocytes are nucleated. Nevertheless, these cells are usually considered as mere carriers of hemoglobin. In this work, however, we describe for the first time an unrecognized role of teleost red blood cells (RBCs). We found that Nk-lysin (Nkl), an antimicrobial peptide produced by NK-cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, was also expressed in flatfish ...

Blood cells naturally auto-segregate in postcapillary venules, with the erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs) aggregating near the axis of flow and the nucleated cells (NCs)--which include leukocytes, progenitor cells and, in cancer patients, circulating tumor cells--marginating toward the vessel wall. We have used this principle to design a microfluidic device that extracts nucleated cells (NCs...

A 50-year-old man presented with marked thrombocytopenia (platelet count 14 3 10 /L) in the setting of Child-Pugh B chronic liver disease secondary to hepatitis C infection and chronic alcohol consumption. The blood film demonstrated a microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) with leukoerythroblastic and hyposplenic changes. Prominent red cell fragments, marked thrombocytopenia, nucleated red b...