Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation - Volume 71, issue 1

Authors: Piecuch, Jerzy | Mertas, Anna | Nowowiejska–Wiewiora, Alicja | Zurawel, Robert | Gregorczyn, Sławomir | Czuba, Zenon | Wiewiora, Maciej

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between red blood cell (RBC) aggregation and deformability and angiogenesis parameters in obese patients. METHODS: We studied 35 obese subjects and 20 non-obese people as a control group. Angiogenesis was detected using Bio-Plex Pro Human Angiogenesis Multiplex Assays. The RBC aggregation and deformability of the red blood cell aggregation were performed by the Laser-assisted Optical Rotational Cell Analyser – LORCA. RESULTS: The aggregation index and the syllectogram’s amplitude were significantly higher in the obese patients, whereas the aggregation half-time (t1/2 ) was …lower compared with the control group. The deformability of RBC expressed as EI was significantly lower in the obese group than it was in the control group. All angiogenesis parameters were higher in obese individuals than they were in the control group. Significant differences were observed in angiopoietin 2 (p  = 0.048), folistin (p  = 0.0017), G-CSF (p  = 0.042), HGF (p  = 0.016), and PECAM-1 (p  = 0.014). The VEGF tended to be higher in the obese patients than in the control group (p  = 0.09); nevertheless, the concentration of PDGF-BB was similar in both groups. EI at shear stresses of 18.49 Pa and 30.2 Pa was strongly correlated with all angiogenesis parameters. No correlations were found between the studied RBC aggregation indices and angiogenesis parameters. Multivariate analyses indicated that only HGF was an independent predictor of RBC deformability at 18.49 Pa (β –0.83, P  < 0.000005) and at 30.2 Pa (β –0.83, P  < 0.00005). CONCLUSIONS: The study found that there are relationships between enhanced RBC rigidity and angiogenesis status in obese subjects. Because this correlation between angiogenesis and RBC deformability is presented for the first time, the physiological importance of the relationship requires further research. Show more

Keywords: Angiogenesis, obesity, red blood cell, deformability

DOI: 10.3233/CH-180420

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 71, no. 1, pp. 95-102, 2019

Authors: Mushtaq, Mazhar | Abdul Mateen, Muhammad | Kim, Uh-Hyun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance. It is the thickness and stickiness of blood, and a direct measure of the resistance of blood to flow through the vessels. Various factors in the blood have direct or indirect impact on blood viscosity. These hemorheological factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Glucose is one such factor, which, when increased in the blood, causes resistance in the blood flow. OBJECTIVE: The present study is aimed to assess the changes in blood viscosity associated with hyperglycemia in rodents. METHODS: …Diabetic patients were grouped, depending on the duration of their diabetic status assessed by their increased HbA1c. Similarly rodents were subjected to acute or chronic hyperglycemic conditions in various experiments. In vivo , perfusion study was performed using micro probe in diabetic mice. Flow cytometry was used to assess the expression of VCAM-1 on endothelial surface. RESULTS: An approximate 40% increase in blood viscosity is observed in individual who were diabetic for the past 15 years than those who were diagnosed just one year back. Similarly such increase in blood viscosity was evident in different experiments of rodents. Our in vivo perfusion study did not showed conclusive finding however long term hyperglycemia can have deleterious effect on flow rate. Vascular pathology which was evident from the data of flow cytometry, where increase in VCAM-1 expression on the endothelial surface was observed in response to glucose and in diabetic mice. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemia implicates the blood viscosity which in turn can have tedious effect on metabolic syndromes thus causing the serious effect in the tissue perfusion of an organs. Show more

Keywords: Glucose, viscosity, HbA1c, metabolic syndrome, vascular pathology, diabetic, hyperglyecemia

DOI: 10.3233/CH-180426

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 71, no. 1, pp. 103-112, 2019

Authors: Saha, Amit K. | Schmidt, Brendan R. | Wilhelmy, Julie | Nguyen, Vy | Abugherir, Abed | Do, Justin K. | Nemat-Gorgani, Mohsen | Davis, Ronald W. | Ramasubramanian, Anand K.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a poorly understood disease. Amongst others symptoms, the disease is associated with profound fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep abnormalities, and other symptoms that are made worse by physical or mental exertion. While the etiology of the disease is still debated, evidence suggests oxidative damage to immune and hematological systems as one of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease. Since red blood cells (RBCs) are well-known scavengers of oxidative stress, and are critical in microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation, we hypothesized that RBC deformability is adversely affected in ME/CFS. METHODS: We used a …custom microfluidic platform and high-speed microscopy to assess the difference in deformability of RBCs obtained from ME/CFS patients and age-matched healthy controls. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We observed from various measures of deformability that the RBCs isolated from ME/CFS patients were significantly stiffer than those from healthy controls. Our observations suggest that RBC transport through microcapillaries may explain, at least in part, the ME/CFS phenotype, and promises to be a novel first-pass diagnostic test. Show more

Keywords: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, microfluidics, cell deformability, red blood cells

DOI: 10.3233/CH-180469

Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 71, no. 1, pp. 113-116, 2019