Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (698 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Immature erythrocytes. In humans, these are erythroid cells that have just undergone extrusion of their cell nucleus. They still contain some organelles that gradually decrease in number as the cells mature. ribosomes are last to disappear. Certain staining techniques cause components of the ribosomes to precipitate into characteristic reticulum (not the same as the endoplasmic reticulum), hence the name reticulocytes.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Reticulocyte.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Erythrocytes; Bone Marrow Cells
Related concepts
- Erythrocytes
- Erythroid Cells
- Cell Nucleus
- Ribosomes
- Endoplasmic Reticulum
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 11,832 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Reticulocytes” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 296 of them (2.5%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 9,690 records.
Reviews account for 359 records (3.0%) and meta-analyses for 4. Randomized controlled trials number 88 (0.7%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 9,690 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,006 |
| 2010-2019 | 840 |
| 2020 onward | 296 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 359 | 3.0% |
| Meta-analyses | 4 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 88 | 0.7% |
Method: PubMed query "Reticulocytes"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
Selection of housekeeping genes for gene expression studies in human reticulocytes using real-time PCR [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundControl genes, which are often referred to as housekeeping genes, are frequently used to normalise mRNA levels between different samples.
- Closing excerpt
- ConclusionUsing this simple approach, GAPDH was found to be the most suitable housekeeping gene for expression studies in reticulocytes while the commonly used B2M should be avoided.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (205 words)
BackgroundControl genes, which are often referred to as housekeeping genes, are frequently used to normalise mRNA levels between different samples. However, the expression level of these genes may vary among tissues or cells and may change under certain circumstances. Thus, the selection of housekeeping genes is critical for gene expression studies. To address this issue, 7 candidate housekeeping genes including several commonly used ones were investigated in isolated human reticulocytes. For this, a simple DeltaCt approach was employed by comparing relative expression of 'pairs of genes' within each sample. On this basis, stability of the candidate housekeeping genes was ranked according to repeatability of the gene expression differences among 31 samples.ResultsInitial screening of the expression pattern demonstrated that 1 of the 7 genes was expressed at very low levels in reticulocytes and was excluded from further analysis. The range of expression stability of the other 6 genes was (from most stable to least stable): GAPDH (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase), SDHA (succinate dehydrogenase), HPRT1 (hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase 1), HBS1L (HBS1-like protein) and AHSP (alpha haemoglobin stabilising protein), followed by B2M (beta-2-microglobulin).ConclusionUsing this simple approach, GAPDH was found to be the most suitable housekeeping gene for expression studies in reticulocytes while the commonly used B2M should be avoided.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 17026756 · DOI · PMC1609175
An immortalized adult human erythroid line facilitates sustainable and scalable generation of functional red cells [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- With increasing worldwide demand for safe blood, there is much interest in generating red blood cells in vitro as an alternative clinical product.
- Closing excerpt
- We demonstrate a feasible approach to the manufacture of red cells for clinical use from in vitro culture.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (143 words)
With increasing worldwide demand for safe blood, there is much interest in generating red blood cells in vitro as an alternative clinical product. However, available methods for in vitro generation of red cells from adult and cord blood progenitors do not yet provide a sustainable supply, and current systems using pluripotent stem cells as progenitors do not generate viable red cells. We have taken an alternative approach, immortalizing early adult erythroblasts generating a stable line, which provides a continuous supply of red cells. The immortalized cells differentiate efficiently into mature, functional reticulocytes that can be isolated by filtration. Extensive characterization has not revealed any differences between these reticulocytes and in vitro-cultured adult reticulocytes functionally or at the molecular level, and importantly no aberrant protein expression. We demonstrate a feasible approach to the manufacture of red cells for clinical use from in vitro culture.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28290447 · DOI · PMC5355882
Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles from Plasmodium vivax patients signal spleen fibroblasts via NF-kB facilitating parasite cytoadherence [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria parasite.
- Closing excerpt
- vivax-adherent parasite subpopulations in the microvasculature of the human spleen.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (141 words)
Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria parasite. Previous studies have shown that circulating microparticles during P. vivax acute attacks are indirectly associated with severity. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are therefore major components of circulating plasma holding insights into pathological processes. Here, we demonstrate that plasma-derived EVs from Plasmodium vivax patients (PvEVs) are preferentially uptaken by human spleen fibroblasts (hSFs) as compared to the uptake of EVs from healthy individuals. Moreover, this uptake induces specific upregulation of ICAM-1 associated with the translocation of NF-kB to the nucleus. After this uptake, P. vivax-infected reticulocytes obtained from patients show specific adhesion properties to hSFs, reversed by inhibiting NF-kB translocation to the nucleus. Together, these data provide physiological EV-based insights into the mechanisms of human malaria pathology and support the existence of P. vivax-adherent parasite subpopulations in the microvasculature of the human spleen.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32487994 · DOI · PMC7265481
Reticulocyte hemoglobin content: a new frontier in iron deficiency diagnostics for major surgical patients [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundIron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency among patients undergoing major surgery.
- Closing excerpt
- Ret-He may serve as a valuable tool to prioritize patients for further iron status testing, especially when preoperative time is limited.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (209 words)
BackgroundIron deficiency (ID) is the most common nutritional deficiency among patients undergoing major surgery. Treatment of ID is straightforward, however implementing a comprehensive anemia management strategy within clinical routines is complex. Recently, reticulocyte hemoglobin content (Ret-He) has been evaluated as an early marker for ID diagnosis.MethodIn this retrospective study, 2,966 major surgical patients from two University Hospitals were screened for the presence of ID and the significance of Ret-He in diagnosis ID was evaluated in both non-anemic and anemic patients. According to hemoglobin, ferritin, and transferrin saturation concentrations patients were assigned to a Control group (no anemia, no ID), ID group (no anemia, ID), IDA group (anemia, ID) or Others group (anemia, no ID).ResultsIn total, 2,760 patients were included in analysis: Control (n = 1500; 54.2%), IDA (n = 412; 14.9%), ID (n = 487; 17.6%), and Others (n = 370; 13.4%). Ret-He was significantly decreased in the IDA group compared to ID, Control and Others, respectively (p ConclusionThis study highlights the potential of Ret-He as a promising alternative marker for diagnosing ID in patients undergoing major surgery, particularly in cases of elevated ferritin levels or non-anemic patients. Ret-He may serve as a valuable tool to prioritize patients for further iron status testing, especially when preoperative time is limited.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39863874 · DOI · PMC11762468
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Protein biosynthesis [5]
- Research article The Jeanne Manery-Fisher Memorial Lecture 1991. Maturation of reticulocytes: formation of exosomes as a mechanism for shedding membrane proteins [6]
- Research article Inside(sight) of tiny communicator: exosome biogenesis, secretion, and uptake [7]
- Research article High-throughput cell-free systems for synthesis of functionally active proteins [8]
- Research article Revisiting the road to the discovery of exosomes [9]
- Research article Exosome secretion: the art of reutilizing nonrecycled proteins? [10]
References
- Silver N, Best S, Jiang J, Thein SL. Selection of housekeeping genes for gene expression studies in human reticulocytes using real-time PCR. . 2006. PMID 17026756 · DOI · PMC1609175
- Trakarnsanga K, Griffiths RE, Wilson MC, Blair A, Satchwell TJ, Meinders M, et al.. An immortalized adult human erythroid line facilitates sustainable and scalable generation of functional red cells. . 2017. PMID 28290447 · DOI · PMC5355882
- Toda H, Diaz-Varela M, Segui-Barber J, Roobsoong W, Baro B, Garcia-Silva S, et al.. Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles from Plasmodium vivax patients signal spleen fibroblasts via NF-kB facilitating parasite cytoadherence. . 2020. PMID 32487994 · DOI · PMC7265481
- Choorapoikayil S, Kotlyar MJ, Kawohl L, Pratz PP, Mehic D, Kranke P, et al.. Reticulocyte hemoglobin content: a new frontier in iron deficiency diagnostics for major surgical patients. . 2025. PMID 39863874 · DOI · PMC11762468
- Lucas-Lenard J. Protein biosynthesis. Annu Rev Biochem. 1971. PMID 4941237 · DOI
- Johnstone RM. The Jeanne Manery-Fisher Memorial Lecture 1991. Maturation of reticulocytes: formation of exosomes as a mechanism for shedding membrane proteins. Biochem Cell Biol. 1992. PMID 1515120 · DOI
- Jadli AS, Ballasy N, Edalat P, Patel VB. Inside(sight) of tiny communicator: exosome biogenesis, secretion, and uptake. Mol Cell Biochem. 2020. PMID 32088833 · DOI
- Spirin AS. High-throughput cell-free systems for synthesis of functionally active proteins. Trends Biotechnol. 2004. PMID 15450748 · DOI
- Johnstone RM. Revisiting the road to the discovery of exosomes. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 2005. PMID 15885604 · DOI
- de Gassart A, Géminard C, Hoekstra D, Vidal M. Exosome secretion: the art of reutilizing nonrecycled proteins?. Traffic. 2004. PMID 15479454 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.