Evaluation of the red cell deformability through ektacytometry in iron deficiency / Avaliação da deformidade eritrocitária através da ectacitometria na deficiência de ferro

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2002

RESUMO

The deformability allows the 7 to 8 cm red cell to circulate through capillaries of 3 cm. This phenomenon depends on cellular geometry, internal viscosity and viscoelastic properties of the membrane. Among the various techniques of erytrocyte deformability (ED) analysis such as: micropipette aspiration, filtration and reoscopy, we chose ektacytometry. This technique uses a laminar flow viscometry, where red cell shape changes are continuously monitorated by LASER, processed by a computer and inserted in a graphic for further analysis. Ektacytometry measures the Deformability Index (DI), which shows the size of eliptocytogenesis of the eritrocyte under shear stress force. Iron deficiency anemia is a very frequent disease in medical practice. It presents expressive morphologic alterations such as microcytosis, hypocromy, ovalocytosis, eliptocytosis and target cells. Erytrocyte deformability has been described in a number of situations like hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elitptocytosis and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Concerning iron deficiency anemia, authors are controversial. The present study evaluates erytrocyte deformability, using ectacytometry in 21 patients carrying documented iron deficiency before and after therapeutics with iron components. Although the anemia treatment proved to be efficient (before Hb- 8,52 g/dl and after Hb- 12,74 g/dl), some patients persisted with erytrocyte alteration morfology. Results demonstrate diminished erytrocyte deformability in people with iron deficiency anemia, when compared with the control group (p<0,0007). The absence of regularization and maintenance of statistical difference after treatment (p<0,03) in low shear stress can be attributed to the persistence of red cell anomalies. There is no relation between the level of anemia and reduced ED. The erytrocyte deformability diminished is greatly related to microcitosys, even if hipocromy seems to not interefere importantly. The two factors altogether can either sum or nulify the effects over erytrocyte deformability. The present study suggests that the responsible factor for diminished erytrocyte deformability is microcitosys. Recently, iron deficiency anemia has been associated to thrombotic phenomenon has raised interest in the studying of erytrocyte deformability, in order to understand such cases.

ASSUNTO(S)

deformabilidade eritrocitária red cell deformability deficiência de ferro anemia ferropriva ferropenic anemia ektacytometry iron deficiency ectacitometria

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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