Determination of red blood cell aggregation in young and elderly subjects evaluated by ultrasound

Subtitle: Influence of dihydroergocryptine mesylate

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Hammi, H. | Perrotin, P. | Guillet, R. | Boynard, M.

Affiliations: Laboratoire de Biophysique Appliquée, Groupe de Recherche en Physique et Biophysique UFR Biomédicale des Saints-Pères, Université Paris V, Paris, France

Abstract: Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation was determined in elderly subjects (mean age over 80 years) by using two ultrasonic (interferometry and backscattering) methods and compared with RBC aggregation measured in young healthy volunteers (mean age below 30 years). The two time parameters (tm and Δt) given by the interferometry method and the backscattering coefficient χ given by the backscattering method have been shown to be connected to the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and to the RBC aggregate size respectively. The results show that elderly subjects display hemorheological parameters significantly altered compared to those of young healthy volunteers. Long term treatment of elderly patients (3 months) with a RBC anti-aggregant (dihydroergo cryptine) demonstrates an improvement of hemorheological parameters (Δt: + 10 %; χ coefficient: −29 %), in spite of a moderate increase of fibrinogenemia, and corroborates the favourable effects of the compound previously found in animals.

Keywords: RBC, aggregation, ultrasound, elderly subjects, anti-aggregant effect

DOI: 10.3233/CH-1994-14115

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 117-126, 1994