Haemorheological variables as a rheumatoid arthritis activity indicator
Article type: Research Article
Authors: Luquita, A.; | Urli, L. | Dominighini, A. | Svetaz, M.J. | Gennaro, A.M. | Volpintesta, R. | Palatnik, S. | Rasia, M.
Affiliations: Cátedra de Física Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, 2000 Rosario, Argentina | Sección Inmunidad Celular, Dep. Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Cs. Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina | INTEC (CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Güemes 3450, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina | Area Reumatología, Cátedra de Reumatología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
Note: [] Corresponding author: Dr. Alejandra Luquita, Cátedra de Física Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, 2000 Rosario, Argentina. Fax: +54 341 448 4761; E‐mail: luquitale@hotmail.com.
Abstract: Objective: To investigate if blood hyperviscosity in RA patients is due to a reduced erythrocyte deformability and, therefore, turning it into a reliable activity indicator, as well as a therapy follow‐up marker for this pathology. Methods: (1) The haemorheological profile consisting of erythrocyte deformability, blood and plasma viscosity, and erythrocyte membrane fluidity was determined in 24 AR patients and 17 healthy controls. (2) A 4 year follow‐up was carried on in 16 patients monitoring blood viscosity, erythrocyte deformability and biochemical variables in relation to clinical assessment of disease activity (Disease Activity Score “DAS 28‐4”). Results: Erythrocyte deformability and membrane fluidity were impaired in RA patients compared to controls (p<0.001). Blood viscosity was significantly increased and correlated with the cell rigidity index (r=0.85, p<0.0000) in RA patients. The follow‐up showed a good correlation between haemorheological parameters and DAS 28‐4 during disease evolution. Conclusion: our results support the hypothesis that in RA, blood hyperviscosity is determined by deformability loss, which in turn is due to a membrane rigidization. This could evidenced that a widespread cell membrane damage is expressed through an impaired erythrocyte deformability, turning haemorheological parameters into reliable tools to study disease evolution. The follow‐up study enabled us to confirm that erythrocyte deformability is an efficient indicator of rheumatoid arthritis activity.
Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, blood viscosity, erythrocyte deformability, haemorheological variables, follow‐up study
Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 9-16, 2004
