The influence of cryoglobulins on the temperature-dependent erythrocyte aggregation in vitro by backscattering...

Nephelometry technique was used to register the alterations of the scattering signal from a whole blood sample due to erythrocyte aggregates in stasis and under controlled shear stress. The measured parameters were: the characteristic times of linear and three-dimensional aggregates formation, and the strength of aggregates of different types. These parameters depend on the sample temperature in the range of 2/50 degrees C. Temporal parameters of the aggregation process strongly increase (by 3 times) at temperature 45 degrees C. For samples of normal blood the aggregates strength parameters do not significantly depend on the sample temperature, whereas for blood samples from patients with cryoglobulinemia high increase of the strength of both three-dimensional and linear aggregates and decrease of time of linear aggregates formation at low temperature of the sample (4 degrees C) was observed. The difference of these parameters of the pathological blood from that of the normal at room temperature was quite opposite. Possible reasons of such behavior of aggregation state of blood and explanation of the observed effects are suggested.