[Thromboembolic risk factors in kidney transplantation: hemorheologic examination in secondary polycythemia]

Cardiovascular risk factors will increase the lethality of kidney patients being under dialysis treatment and after transplantation. This risk is additionally increased after transplantation by secondary polycythemia. The paper investigates the rheological properties of the blood of 20 patients affected by secondary polycythemia after kidney transplantation, 10 patients without polycythemia after kidney transplantation and 19 test persons. Plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation and whole blood viscosity were determined. As a result, an increase of erythrocyte aggregation without their deformability being changed could be found in patients affected by polycythemia after kidney transplantation. The reduced thrombocyte aggregation identified in these patients can be explained by the influence of therapy.