Biomaterial Database

The viscosity of red blood cell membranes in patients with beta-thalassaemia. 1994

G Athanassiou, and W Meier, and D Lerche, and Y Missirlis

Department of Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, University of Patras, Greece.

The purpose of this work was to study the viscoelastic behaviour of the red blood cell membrane (RBCM) in cells from patients with beta-thalassaemia and to investigate whether the precipitated haemoglobin, which is one of the main features of thalassaemic syndromes, influences the membrane viscosity. RBCM viscosities were determined using the micropipet aspiration method. A negative pressure of about 50 Pa was applied in steps at the membrane surface so as to cause partial aspiration of the cell and the entry process was analyzed automatically by a TV-line analyzer. This analysis enabled estimation of the characteristic times (tau 1, tau 2) and corresponding values of the viscosity (eta 1, eta 2). Results were as follows: eta 1 = (1.87 +/- 0.55) microNs/m and eta 2 = (51.42 +/- 20) microNs/m for erythrocytes from normal donors; eta 1 = (3.97 +/- 0.98) microNs/m and eta 2 = (110.40 +/- 35) microNs/m for erythrocytes from patients. Inclusions (Heinz Bodies) were produced artificially in normal cells and the characteristic times (tau 1, tau 2) and corresponding viscosities (eta 1, eta 2) derived in the same manner. For three types of RBC containing increasing numbers of inclusions, the values were: eta 1 = (3.26 +/- 1.70) microNs/m and eta 2 = (77.33 +/- 46.96) microNs/m; eta 1 = (4.21 +/- 1.49) microNs/m and eta 2 = (129.60 +/- 47.90) microNs/m; eta 1 = (7.93 +/- 2.62) microNs/m and eta 2 = (206.60 +/- 93.19) microNs/m. It is concluded that the association of inclusion bodies with the membrane, either in disease or through artificial production, increases the membrane viscosity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001809	Blood Viscosity	The internal resistance of the BLOOD to shear forces. The in vitro measure of whole blood viscosity is of limited clinical utility because it bears little relationship to the actual viscosity within the circulation, but an increase in the viscosity of circulating blood can contribute to morbidity in patients suffering from disorders such as SICKLE CELL ANEMIA and POLYCYTHEMIA.	Blood Viscosities,Viscosities, Blood,Viscosity, Blood
D004548	Elasticity	Resistance and recovery from distortion of shape.
D004910	Erythrocyte Membrane	The semi-permeable outer structure of a red blood cell. It is known as a red cell 'ghost' after HEMOLYSIS.	Erythrocyte Ghost,Red Cell Cytoskeleton,Red Cell Ghost,Erythrocyte Cytoskeleton,Cytoskeleton, Erythrocyte,Cytoskeleton, Red Cell,Erythrocyte Cytoskeletons,Erythrocyte Ghosts,Erythrocyte Membranes,Ghost, Erythrocyte,Ghost, Red Cell,Membrane, Erythrocyte,Red Cell Cytoskeletons,Red Cell Ghosts
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D013314	Stress, Mechanical	A purely physical condition which exists within any material because of strain or deformation by external forces or by non-uniform thermal expansion; expressed quantitatively in units of force per unit area.	Mechanical Stress,Mechanical Stresses,Stresses, Mechanical
D017086	beta-Thalassemia	A disorder characterized by reduced synthesis of the beta chains of hemoglobin. There is retardation of hemoglobin A synthesis in the heterozygous form (thalassemia minor), which is asymptomatic, while in the homozygous form (thalassemia major, Cooley's anemia, Mediterranean anemia, erythroblastic anemia), which can result in severe complications and even death, hemoglobin A synthesis is absent.	Anemia, Cooley's,Anemia, Erythroblastic,Anemia, Mediterranean,Hemoglobin F Disease,Thalassemia Major,Thalassemia Minor,Erythroblastic Anemia,Mediterranean Anemia,Microcytemia, beta Type,Thalassemia Intermedia,Thalassemia Major (beta-Thalassemia Major),Thalassemia Minor (beta-Thalassemia Minor),Thalassemia, beta Type,beta Thalassemia,Anemia, Cooley,Anemia, Cooleys,Anemias, Erythroblastic,Anemias, Mediterranean,Cooley's Anemia,Disease, Hemoglobin F,Intermedia, Thalassemia,Intermedias, Thalassemia,Major, Thalassemia (beta-Thalassemia Major),Majors, Thalassemia (beta-Thalassemia Major),Mediterranean Anemias,Microcytemias, beta Type,Minor, Thalassemia (beta-Thalassemia Minor),Minors, Thalassemia (beta-Thalassemia Minor),Thalassemia Intermedias,Thalassemia Major (beta Thalassemia Major),Thalassemia Majors (beta-Thalassemia Major),Thalassemia Minor (beta Thalassemia Minor),Thalassemia Minors (beta-Thalassemia Minor),Thalassemia, beta,Thalassemias, beta,Thalassemias, beta Type,Type Microcytemia, beta,Type Microcytemias, beta,Type Thalassemia, beta,Type Thalassemias, beta,beta Thalassemias,beta Type Microcytemia,beta Type Microcytemias,beta Type Thalassemia,beta Type Thalassemias