Neutrophil-induced erythrocyte injury: a potential cause of erythrocyte destruction in the anemia associated with inflammatory disease.

Activated neutrophils at effector/target ratios of 1:20 to 1:2,000 induced depletion of red blood cell (RBC)-reduced glutathione, increased membrane-bound hemoglobin and methemoglobin, and promoted immunoglobulin binding to the cell membrane. Superoxide dismutase/catalase ameliorated the decrease in reduced glutathione and the increase in methemoglobin and immunoglobulin binding. This is interpreted as evidence that activated neutrophils can alter the antigenic nature of the RBC membrane through generation of toxic oxygen radicals.