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This study concerns 11 patients with immune complex associated cutaneous vasculitis (5 leukocytoclastic vasculitis or Gougerot Ruiter's disease, 3 essential mixed cryoglobulinaemia, 2 Henoch-Schönlein purpura and 1 Waldenström's hypergammaglobulinaemic purpura). By determining the clearance of 51Cr-labeled IgG sensitized erythrocytes we showed a slight modification in the splenic mononuclear phagocyte system. In patients with Gougerot-Ruiter's disease the clearance of the autologous IgG-coated erythrocytes was delayed in 1 patient, and normal in 2 patients. In contact, the 8 other patients showed accelerated rates of IgG-mediated clearance. There was no statistically significant correlation between clearance rate, serum complement component levels and composition and/or levels of circulating immune complexes. Thus, the accelerated clearance rate suggests an enhanced activity of the mononuclear phagocyte system IgG-Fc receptors.

In normoglycaemic subjects the haemoglobin glycosylation rate primarily depends on duration of erythrocyte life. Measurements of glycosylated haemoglobin therefore can be used to evaluate erythrocyte life. Indeed, glycosylated haemoglobin is significantly reduced (p less than 0.001) in patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia or Minkowski-Chauffard syndrome as compared with patients with non-haemolytic anaemia. In addition, there is a strong correlation (r = 0.92) in non-diabetic subjects between the level of glycosylated haemoglobin and the percentage of daily haemolysis, as determined by a method using 51 Cr-labelled antologous red cells.