Comparison of the simple red blood cell adhesiveness/aggregation test with the laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyzer: Red blood cell aggregation in patients with coronary artery disease and a healthy control group
Affiliations: [a] Department of Radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| [b] Medical Clinic B, Cardiovascular Research Lab, Medical Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Pneumology and Vascular Diseases, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| [c] Clinic of Cardiology, West German Heart and Vascular Centre Essen, Medical School, University of Essen, Essen, Germany
| [d] Institute of Pathophysiology, West German Heart and Vascular Centre Essen, University of Essen Medical School, Germany
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Priv. Doz. Dr. rer. nat. Petra Kleinbongard, Institut für Pathophysiologie, Westdeutsches Herz- und Gefäßzentrum, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. Tel.: +49 201 723 2763; Fax: +49 201 723 4481; E-mail: petra.kleinbongard@uk-essen.de.
Note: [1] These authors contributed equally.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation influences blood flow properties, impacts blood microcirculation and consequently oxygen delivery. Different methods are established to determine RBC aggregation: under static conditions (i.e. the RBC adhesiveness/aggregation test (EAAT)) or under shear conditions (i.e. the laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyzer (LORCA)). OBJECTIVE: Comparison of these two different methods in detecting the RBC aggregation of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and of healthy controls. METHODS: RBC aggregation was quantified in peripheral venous blood of patients with CAD and healthy controls using EAAT and LORCA. RESULTS: Both methods detected an increased RBC aggregation in patients with CAD compared to the healthy control group: the ratio of clot-free area to whole area (rCFA) detected with EAAT (15.65 vs. 11.30%), and aggregation index (66.33 vs. 53.90%), shear rate of disaggregation (SDA) (105.59 vs. 69.21 s–1), and upstroke/ttop (0.03 vs. 0.02 au/s) detected with LORCA device were increased, aggregation half time (detected with LORCA) was decreased (2.11 vs. 3.60 s). rCFA (EAAT) correlated with SDA (LORCA). CONCLUSIONS: Both methods determine an increased RBC aggregation in patients with CAD. However, only one measurement parameter of the LORCA seems to reflect the same RBC aggregation properties as the EAAT.
Keywords: Coronary artery disease, measurement devices, red blood cell aggregation
