Red blood cells from Alzheimer patients and from normal subjects discerned by cell electrophoresis in an aqueous...

Blood from patients diagnosed as having Alzheimer disease and from subjects without memory impairment or dementia was collected in citrate. The erythrocytes were washed and electrophoresed in phosphate-buffered saline as well as in a number of polymer solutions in phosphate-buffered saline. The electrophoretic mobilities of red cells from Alzheimer patients and from normals were indistinguishable when measured in phosphate-buffered saline. In the dextran-rich bottom phase obtained from a dextran-poly(ethylene glycol) aqueous phase system, but not in a dextran solution alone, the electrophoretic mobilities differ (P < 0.001). In a poly(ethylene glycol) solution the mobilities also differ although, on a percentage basis, less so than in the bottom phase. It would appear that a differential adsorption of appropriately selected polymer(s) on the Alzheimer and normal red blood cells renders surface differences electrophoretically detectable.