title: A simple biomarker to exclude the presence of low grade inflammation in apparently healthy individuals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerosis is accompanied by a low grade inflammatory response.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To use erythrocyte aggregability as a biomarker to exclude the presence of low grade inflammatory response in apparently healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  The adhesiveness/aggregation of red blood cells was quantitated by using a simple slide test and image analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 121 apparently healthy individuals and found a significant correlation between the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation and either the concentration of high sensitive CRP (r = 0.6, P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.5, P < 0.0001) or fibrinogen (r = 0.5, P < 0.0001). By using certain cutoff points for the erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation test we could define individuals with a very low grade inflammatory response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By using this inexpensive and rapid assessment, we could clearly discriminate between individuals with a very low inflammatory response and those with a more intense one. This biomarker should be further evaluated as a possible screening test for use in large populations of apparently healthy individuals in whom the detection of low grade inflammation might contribute to guiding appropriate lifestyle modifications and therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine D, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. shapiraiz@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zeltser
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: Einor Ben
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Assayag
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mardi
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Serov
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aharonov
authors.forename: Nadir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arber
authors.forename: Rivka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rotstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood; D004903:Erythrocyte Aggregation; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002097:C-Reactive Protein