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Blood rheology during normal pregnancy
Panagiotis Tsikouras1, Barbara Niesigk2, Georg-Friedrich von Tempelhoff3
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation
|May 16, 2018
Summary
During pregnancy, red blood cell (RBC) aggregation increases significantly by the second trimester, while RBC deformability decreases. Plasma viscosity remains largely unchanged throughout pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Pregnancy significantly alters maternal physiology, impacting blood rheology.
- Limited understanding exists regarding changes in red blood cell (RBC) aggregation and deformability during normal pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in blood rheological parameters, specifically RBC aggregation, RBC deformability, and plasma viscosity, throughout normal pregnancy.
- To compare these parameters with pre-pregnancy and early puerperium values.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study analyzing 1,913 blood samples from 945 pregnant women.
- Assessed RBC aggregation (E0, E1), RBC deformability, and plasma viscosity (pv) at different gestational stages.
- Compared antepartum, postpartum, and pre-pregnancy laboratory results.
Main Results:
- Plasma viscosity remained stable throughout pregnancy. RBC aggregation significantly increased in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters compared to pre-pregnancy and 1st trimester values.
- RBC deformability showed a significant temporary reduction in the 2nd trimester, persisting under high shear rates in the 3rd trimester.
- Increased RBC aggregation correlated inversely with reduced RBC deformability, particularly at low shear rates.
Conclusions:
- Blood rheological changes, including increased RBC aggregation and rigidity, occur early in pregnancy (1st trimester) and persist.
- These changes coincide with physiological hemodilution and hypercoagulability.
- Plasma viscosity is largely unaffected by normal pregnancy.
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