AFM DIAGNOSTICS OF ERYTHROCYTE PATHOLOGY BASED ON THE PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL IMAGE OF CELL SURFACE

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) makes it possible to create not only the geometrical image of the surface of an object but also its physical and mechanical image composed from a number of AFM parameters. Changes of the physical and mechanical AFM image of the erythrocyte surface in patients with infectious respiratory diseases and hepatocirrhosis as well as in the process of erythrocyte ageing have been studied in vitro . The AFM images are based on data obtained during its scanning in the contact mode and include fractal dimension and statistical parameters for the cell surface distribution of lateral forces along the cell surface (sliding friction forces between the point of the AFM probe and the cell surface). The obtained data have shown the effectiveness of the application of the physical and mechanical image of erythrocyte surface in the early detection of their function changes and prognosis of possible circulatory disturbances.