The RBC morphological dependence of the RBC disaggregability

The aim of this study was to determine the red blood cell (RBC) disaggregability dependence upon the RBC shape. The study concentrated on stored blood during bank storage and on suspensions of artificially induced echinocytes. Measurements was performed in autologous plasma of hematocrit 0.45 and at constant plasmatic content. Rheological studies using stationary viscometry, nonstationary viscometry and rheoscopy were made in order to assess different stages of the disaggregability process. Whatever the method of measurement used, the morphological interpretation of the results reveal that beyond 75% of echinocytes within the sample, the disaggregation process is altered. The shear stresses required to dissociate the echinocyte aggregates are significantly higher than those required to disaggregate normal RBC rouleaux.