title: Red blood cells from Alzheimer patients and from normal subjects discerned by cell electrophoresis in an aqueous polymer solution.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Long Beach, CA 90822.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Widen
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Read
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood*; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values