title: Effect of alpha thalassaemia on the rheology of homozygous sickle cell disease.
abstract: A study of rheological determinants (plasma viscosity, whole-blood viscosity, and erythrocyte deformability) was made in 24 matched pairs of patients with homozygous sickle cell disease, with and without homozygous alpha-thalassaemia 2. Patients with coexisting alpha-thalassaemia showed a significant increase in erythrocyte deformability measured as filtration of washed erythrocytes through 5 micron diameter pores and also as viscosity of whole blood at high shear rate (230s-1) and standard haematocrit (0.45). This rheological advantage may explain the beneficial effect of alpha-thalassaemia 2 on haematological parameters and clinical events in homozygous sickle cell disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood*; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002648:Child; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D005374:Filtration; D006400:Hematocrit; D006450:Hemoglobin SC Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D012212:Rheology; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors