Effect of microcytosis on erythrocyte rheology

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bareford, D.^{a; b} | Stone, P.C.W.^{a; b} | Girling, A.J.^{a; b} | Gyde, O.H.B.^{a; b} | Stuart, J.^{a; b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Haematology and Department of Statistics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TJ, U.K. | [b] Department of Haematology, East Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham B9 5ST, U.K.

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Professor J. Stuart, Department of Haematology, Medical School, Birmingham B15 2TJ, UK.

Note: [] Accepted by: Editor M.R. Boisseau

Abstract: The degree of rheological benefit arising from microcytosis in polycythaemia is controversial. The filterability (3 µm diameter pores) and viscosity (241 s−l shear rate) of microcytic erythrocytes from 18 patients with polycythaemia were therefore compared with microcytes from 19 patients with iron deficiency and 12 patients with β-thalassaemia trait. In all three disorders, viscosity decreased as cell size decreased. Erythrocyte filterability was significantly impaired in polycythaemia compared with thalassaemia trait as a consequence of the greater degree of erythrocyte anisocytosis in polycythaemia. The beneficial rheological benefit of microcytosis is therefore reduced when the erythrocytes are not homogeneous in size and contain sub-populations of relatively large cells.

Keywords: Rheology, Erythrocyte deformability, Erythrocyte indices

DOI: 10.3233/CH-1988-8208

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 195-201, 1988