Blood filtrability in cerebrovascular disorders, with special reference to erythrocyte deformability and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content

Abstract

Microcirculatory disturbance can be responsible for the pathophysiology of cerebrovascular disorders. In this study, erythrocyte deformability was investigated in 48 cerebrovascular patients and 116 healthy controls as the index of blood filtrability in microcirculation.
Several hematological and blood chemical parameters were also determined to observe influences on the filtrability. Erythrocyte deformability was measured by the Reid's method and expressed as the deformability index (DI).
DI and ATP level decreased with advancing age both in controls and patients. DI and ATP level in patients were lower than those in controls. DI was directly proportional to ATP level both in controls and patients. Close relationship between DI and ATP level was ascertained by multivariate analysis of the data, although this relationship was revealed only in controls.DI was inversely proportional to hematocrit, hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and lactate levels in controls and directly to albumin in patients.
There were no significant differences in DI and ATP level between cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. Neither DI nor ATP level indicated arteriovenous gap.
In the cerebrovascular patients, decreased blood filtrability might predispose to the microcirculatory deterioration accompanied with sclerotic narrowing of arteries.