Affiliations: Department of Haematology, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TJ, UK
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to Professor J. Stuart.
Note: [] Accepted by: Editor G.D.O. Lowe
Abstract: Erythrocyte filtration, as measured by the initial-flow-rate Hemorheometre technique, showed a highly significant correlation (r = 0.603, P < 0.001) with even a small number of contaminating leucocytes (mean 0.08 × 109/l, SEM 0.01) in 29 erythrocyte test suspensions. Failure to reduce leucocyte contamination to <0.025 × 109/l caused falsely abnormal erythrocyte filtration values. Centrifugation failed to remove sufficient leucocytes from anaemic blood specimens but pre-filtration through Imugard IG500 cotton wool reduced leucocyte contamination to <0.025 × 109/l in 73 of 74 blood samples. There was no evidence for selective cotton wool trapping of erythrocyte sub-populations to an extent that affected rheological measurements obtained by the Hemorheometre, the Ektacytometer, or by adhesion of erythrocytes to cultured human vascular endothelium.
