[Influence of metabolic equilibrium on erythrocyte deformability in diabetes mellitus]

Red blood cell filtration test (Reid's test) was performed in 23 diabetic patients and in 10 normal subjects and it was related to metabolic equilibrium. Results showed an increase of filtration time in diabetics when compared to controls (35.1'' +/- 2.3; M +/- SEM vs 22.2'' +/- 0.7, p less than 0.001) and a significant correlation to cholesterol (178.7 mg% +/- 8.9, r = 0.40, p less than 0.05), triglycerides (131.3 mg% +/- 20.6, r = 0.72, p less than 0.001) and to glycosylated hemoglobin (10.7% +/- 0.5, r = 0.60, p less than 0.01) in diabetic patients. No correlation was observed in control subjects. The values of red blood cells filtration time observed in diabetics suggest that an altered erythrocyte deformability in diabetic patients can play an important role in peripheral hypoxia and therefore in diabetic microangiopathy.