Nondiscrete heterogeneity of human erythrocytes: comparison of Coulter-principle flow cytometry and Soret-hemoglobinometry image analysis.

In the blood of normal subjects, the volumes of single erythrocytes are distributed with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 10.8 +/- 1.8%; while in hemoglobinopathies, CV increases proportionately to the degree of anemia produced. Using single cell Soret-band hemoglobinometry and focused-aperture impedance counting, we compared the distribution of red cell volume, area, hemoglobin content, and hemoglobin concentration in normals and subjects with anemic disorders. The CV, nondiscrete heterogeneity, is first, a general characteristic of biologic measurement, second, a sensitive indicator of abnormality of erythropoiesis, and third, consistently less for hemoglobin concentration than for volume, area, or hemoglobin content of the same cells.