Abstract
The relationships of erythrocyte deformability with the factors affecting it were investigated in 16 patients undergoing hemodialysis. Their ages ranged between 31 and 74 (mean: 48.1) years. Twelve healthy subjects, aged 23-45 (mean: 27.3), were used as control. Erythrocyte deformability (in terms of blood volume passing through a nuclepore membrane) was 3.84±1.04ml/min in the 16 patients, which was significantly lower than 6.40±0.60ml/min in control. This variable tended to become lower in these patients with aging: all the values obtained from the patients aged 50 or older (Patient Group I) were lower than the lowest value in the patients aged less than 50 (Patient Group II). Furthermore, erythrocyte deformability tended to decrease with (i) the elevation of plasma fibrinogen concentration (r=-0.54), (ii) a shift to the acidic side, and (iii) the augumentation of ADP-induced platelet aggregation (r=-0.73) in all patients included in individual experiments. These three characteristics were a little more marked in Patient Group I than in Patient Group II. Erythrocyte deformability could not be related to the length of hemodialysis, erythrocyte ATP or 2, 3-DPG concentration, hematocrit, BUN, collagen or epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation.
