Erythrophagocytosis in circulating blood of loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta: The pitting of Heinz bodies

In humans red blood cells live on average of 120 days. Senescent erythrocytes are removed from circulation by macrophages; this process, called erythrophagocytosis (EPC), takes place mainly in the liver but also in the bone marrow. We studied this process in loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta, inhabiting the Mediterranean Sea. Leukocytes of reptiles include heterophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, basophils, thrombocytes, monocytes and of these heterophils and monocytes represents the main phagocytic cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the blood of Caretta caretta specimens and to observe, in the blood smears, heterophils phagocytizing erythrocytes. The phagocytizing cells were also identified by cytochemical reactions. Furthermore some examples of tear-shaped erythrocytes (dacrocytes) were observed. A mechanism presuming a causative link between erythrophagocytosis and teardrop-erythrocyte detection have been proposed to explain this seemingly general pattern of all specimens both wild and housed.