Spontaneous echo contrast videodensity is flow-related and is dependent on the relative concentrations of fibrinogen and red blood cells.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of the present study were to: 1) determine whether fibrinogen (Fg) is the plasma protein responsible for spontaneous echo contrast (SEC), and 2) investigate modulators of SEC.


BACKGROUND
Spontaneous echo contrast has been linked to the development of thromboemboli. The blood products and their interaction responsible for SEC formation have not been fully elucidated.


METHODS
Blood echogenicity was examined with the use of quantitative videodensitometry over a controlled range of flow velocities in an in vitro model. Human blood samples were analyzed in a manner to methodically eliminate individual blood components from whole blood to determine which components are responsible for the formation of SEC.


RESULTS
The videodensity (VD) of whole blood was found to be flow-dependent, with higher VD at lower flow rates, and correlated with visually dense SEC. The following blood products produced faint VD values: washed red blood cells (wRBCs), platelet-depleted plasma, Fg, defibrinated plasma, wRBCs plus defibrinated plasma, and physiologic saline. The VD of wRBCs increased incrementally as increasing concentrations of Fg were added. At each hematocrit (Hct) range, as Fg concentration increased, the SEC became denser, and the VD level also increased until a plateau level was reached that was distinct for each Hct. The addition of sialic acid, which inhibits RBC-RBC aggregation, decreased the amount of SEC, even in the presence of Fg.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrated that Fg-mediated RBC aggregation may be responsible for SEC generation. Furthermore, a unique stoichiometric relationship exists between Fg and RBC concentrations that is necessary for blood echogenicity.
Rastegar
Raymonda
R
Zena and Michael A. Weiner Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Harnick
David J
DJ
Weidemann
Peter
P
Fuster
Valentin
V
Coller
Barry
B
Badimon
Juan J
JJ
Chesebro
James
J
Goldman
Martin E
ME
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D004452:Echocardiography; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014743:Videotape Recording
D005340:Fibrinogen