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Blood yield stress in systemic sclerosis
C Picart1, P H Carpentier, H Galliard
1Laboratoire de Médecine Vasculaire, Université Joseph Fourier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, BP 217 X, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France.
The American Journal of Physiology
|February 10, 1999
Summary
Blood behaves as a gel, with altered properties in systemic sclerosis patients. This study found higher blood yield stress in scleroderma, linked to plasma proteins and red blood cell changes, potentially worsening ischemic complications.
Area of Science:
- Rheology
- Hematology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Blood exhibits weak gel properties at low shear rates, forming reversible aggregates.
- These rheological properties are relevant to microvascular pathophysiology in conditions like systemic sclerosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify blood yield stress in systemic sclerosis patients compared to healthy controls.
- To identify biochemical predictors of altered blood rheology in systemic sclerosis.
Main Methods:
- Low-shear-rate rheometry using a custom roughened Couette device.
- Comparison of 10 systemic sclerosis patients with 10 healthy controls.
- Assessment of biochemical plasmatic parameters and blood microstructures.
Main Results:
- Systemic sclerosis patients exhibited significantly increased blood yield stress (+56%, P < 0.05 at 60% hematocrit).
- The albumin-to-globulin ratio was the strongest biochemical predictor of yield stress.
- Plasmatic factors explained 69% of yield stress variance in scleroderma patients versus 23.4% in controls.
- Microscopic analysis revealed distinct microstructural differences.
Conclusions:
- Blood rheology is significantly altered in systemic sclerosis patients, characterized by increased yield stress.
- Abnormal red blood cell organization, influenced by plasma proteins, may contribute to ischemic complications in systemic sclerosis.