Sequential analysis of the influence of blood storage on aggregation, deformability and shape parameters of erythrocytes

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Nagaprasad, V. | Singh, Megha^;

Affiliations: Biomedical Engineering Division, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras 600036, India

Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Megha Singh, Ph.D., Fax: +91 44 23 50 509.

Abstract: The hemorheological and morphological changes in blood during storage under standardised conditions for 35 days were analysed by sequential determination of the variability of aggregation, deformability and shape of erythrocytes. The shape analysis was carried out by shape descriptors based on the projected area and perimeter, as measured by processing of erythrocyte images obtained from blood smears. The aggregation of erythrocytes was analysed from the data on the sequential variation of transmitted laser intensity after passing through the erythrocyte suspension. Similarly, the deformability of erythrocytes was determined in terms of passage time as obtained by analysis of flow of erythrocyte suspension through the cellulose membrane. The results show that the erythrocyte aggregation parameters and shape descriptors show significant variation, whereas the deformability is reduced (up to 5%) compared with that of the fresh samples. These variations may explain the observed changes in blood viscosity and viability of erythrocytes after their infusion in to the cardiovascular system.

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 273-284, 1998