Mechanism of the reduction of erythrocyte deformability in acute exacerbation patients with chronic cor pulmonale

Abstract

Erythrocyte deformability, erythrocyte membrane fluidity, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were determined in 36 healthy subjects and 38 cases of acute exacerbation patients with chronic cor pulmonale, and the shape of RBCs was observed with a scan­ ning electron microscope (SEM) in 6 healthy subjects and 8 cases of patients. The results showed that erythrocyte deform ability, erythrocyte membrane flu­ idity and MCHC of patients decreased significantly compared with those of healthy subjects. MCV and percentage of abnormally shaped RBCs (most of them were stomatocytes, codocytes and spherocytes) of patients increased significantly compared with those of healthy subjects. It is concluded that the decrease of erythrocyte deform ability in acute exacerbation patients with chronic cor pulmonale may be caused by reduction of erythrocyte membrane fluidity and increase of abnormally shaped RBCs.