Phosphoinositide signalling system in red blood cells of patients with hereditary spherocytosis.

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is characterised with many deviations of red blood cells properties. We investigated a group of 14 patients with mild HS, 7 of whom were splenectomised. We found changes in the content and/or turnover of polyphosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid accompanied by the higher generation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. We suggest that the activation of the phosphoinositide signalling system may be crucial for the manifestation of HS.