[Erythrocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium: clinical applications]

The objectives of this paper are to review the environmental factors, the different erythrocyte ligands and the corresponding endothelial receptors involved in adhesion.

Leukocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium is related to inflammation and has been widely studied. The adhesion of erythrocytes to vascular endothelium has been investigated more recently, mainly in the physiopathology of three diseases: diabetes mellitus, sickle cell disease and malaria. The three diseases are characterized by microvascular complications and are deleterious for the red blood cell membrane. They lead to abnormal erythrocyte adhesion to vascular endothelium. Thus better understanding of the mechanisms involved in red blood cell adhesion to the endothelium is important since it might lead to the development of new therapeutic targets. Progress in this field might contribute to therapeutic improvement in sickle cell disease and to the development of an antimalarial vaccine.

However, additional studies focusing on in vivo endothelium heterogeneity, the different subpopulations of red blood cells and the diversity of Plasmodium falciparum strains are required. The consequences of such erythrocytes/endothelium interactions on the endothelial functions remain to be established.