Affiliations: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, D-6900 Heidelberg, Germany | Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 150, D-6900 Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract: Red blood cell (RBC) deformability was studied by means of a rheoscope and RBC membrane rigidity (i.e. membrane extensional elastic modulus, μe) was measured by using a flow channel in seven children and adolescents (9 to 17 years) with chronic renal failure undergoing regular hemodialysis. μe was 6.34±1.28x10−6 N/m in the uremic patients and 4.48±0.55×10−6 N/m in a control group of six healthy children (P<0.001). RBC deformation in the rheoscope (shear stress of 0.7 Pa) was 0.14±0.03 in the uremic patients and 0.19±0.02 in the controls (p<0.01). At a shear stress of 3 Pa, there was no significant difference between the patients and the controls. These results indicate that chronic renal failure is associated with increased RBC membrane rigidity and decreased RBC deformability at low shear.
