Decreased (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-stimulated ATPase activity in erythrocyte membranes from polycythemia vera patients

Abstract

Erythrocytes were hemolyzed in hypotonic phospate buffer containing 0.5 mmol/l Ca2+ and the membranes subsequently washed twice in hypotonic tris buffer. The centrifugation was performed in a continuous flow system, which was necessary to obtain maximal ATPase activity. The Mg2+-dependent Ca2+-stimulated ATPase activity of 14 patients with polycythemia vera was only 67 per cent (P less than 0.001) of the activity of a control material consisting of 10 donors and 11 bank blood specimens. Five patients with secondary polycythemia and four patients with an increased erythrocyte fraction did not differ significantly from the controls. The polycythemia vera patients with the highest leukocyte count showed the lowest ATPase activity. The apparent calcium dissociation constant of the ATPase in polycythemia vera was about 10(-6) mol/l, as in controls. The relation between the reduced ATPase activity and the abnormal hemopoiesis of polycythemia vera patients is discussed.