title: Detection and clinical significance of red cell aggregation in the human subcutaneous vein using a high-frequency transducer (10 MHZ): a preliminary report.
abstract: To assess ultrasonic measurements for quantitative analysis of red cell aggregation in humans, 50 patients admitted to our hospital were examined without selection. The extent of the aggregates was a assessed by videodensitometry in the subcutaneous vein in the forearm after 2 min of occlusion by manual compression over the skin. Determinants of aggregability were also evaluated by laboratory blood testing to identify potential correlations with ultrasound data. Multiple regression analysis showed that echogenicity was significantly associated with plasma fibrinogen (p < 0.0001), serum total cholesterol (p = 0.0006) and serum protein fraction excluding albumin (p = 0.0049) and was inversely associated with serum total triglyceride (p = 0.0425), but not with age or hematocrit. Ultrasound measurements of red cell aggregation seemed to be useful for the assessment not only for a part of the rheological condition of the blood, but also concomitant changes in plasma macromolecules.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003720:Densitometry; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014680:Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014741:Video Recording
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D014280:Triglycerides; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002784:Cholesterol