Biology of anemia associated to erythrocyte membrane protein deficiencies

Several anemias of different etiologies are associated to oxidative stress (OS). The role and/or contribution of the red blood c ell (RBC ) peroxidases, Peroxiredoxin 2 , Glutathione Peroxidase and Catalase, for the clinical outcome of the anemia is till poorly understood.

The aim of our research studies is to study the biology of these anemia, the patterns of antioxidant response and the OS lesions, by studying the antioxidant enzymes in pathological erythrocytes from patients with Hereditary Spherocytosis , Sickle Cell Anemia, β-Thalassemia and Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency. We expect to unfold the importance of these enzymes for the biology and clinical outcome of the patient’s anemia.

Relevant publications

• Linkage of typically cytosolic peroxidases to erythrocyte membrane – a possible mechanism of protection in Hereditary Spherocytosis.
  Rocha S, Rocha-Pereira P, Cleto E, Ferreira F, Belo L, Santos-Silva A.
  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Biomembranes, 2020, 1862 (3 ): 183172 (12 pages).
  doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183172.


• Interplay between erythrocyte peroxidases and membrane.
  Melo D, Rocha S, Coimbra S, Santos-Silva A.
  In the book "Erythrocyte", Editor: Anil Tombak. INTECH, Open Access Publisher, ISBN 978-1-78984-210-4, 2019.
  DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.83590


• Peroxiredoxin 2, Glutathione Peroxidase and Catalase in the cytosol and membrane of erythrocytes under H2O2-induced oxidative stress.
  Rocha S, Gomes D, Lima M, Bronze-da-Rocha E, Santos-Silva A.
  Free Radical Research, 49(8): 990-1003. 2015
  doi: 10.3109/10715762.2015.1028402