Pathophysiological Associations and Measurement Techniques of Red Blood Cell Deformability.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Hematology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Red blood cells (RBCs) are vital for oxygen and carbon dioxide transport, relying on their unique deformability to navigate narrow microvessels.
• Altered RBC deformability is a significant indicator in various diseases, including sickle cell disease, malaria, diabetes, sepsis, and ischemia-reperfusion injury.
• Changes in RBC mechanical properties can precede clinical symptoms, highlighting deformability as a sensitive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pathophysiological significance of red blood cell (RBC) deformability.
• To synthesize current knowledge on diverse techniques for measuring RBC deformability.
• To guide the selection of appropriate measurement methods for research and clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of single-cell techniques (e.g., micropipette aspiration, optical tweezers, atomic force microscopy).
• Analysis of bulk approaches (e.g., ektacytometry, filtration assays, viscometry).
• Evaluation of emerging microfluidic platforms for high-throughput RBC mechanical analysis.

Main Results:

• Reduced RBC deformability is a common feature across a spectrum of diseases, impacting microcirculation and oxygen delivery.
• A wide array of measurement techniques exist, each with specific advantages and limitations in assessing RBC mechanics.
• Microfluidic platforms offer promising avenues for high-throughput and physiologically relevant RBC deformability assessment.

Conclusions:

• RBC deformability serves as a critical biomarker for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring.
• Understanding the mechanics of RBCs and the methodologies to measure them is essential for clinical translation.
• Further development of robust, clinically applicable tools for measuring RBC deformability is warranted.