title: Increased leukocyte aggregates are associated with atherosclerosis in patients with hemodialysis.
abstract: Little data are available on the role of blood rheology in atherosclerosis in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This study sought to assess the relationship between leukocytes conjugated with platelets (leukocyte aggregates [LA]) and atherosclerosis in patients with HD. The present study included 118 patients on HD. As surrogate markers of atherosclerosis, aortic stiffness measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured. As an assessment of LA, a method, microchannel array flow analyzer, which makes it possible to directly observe the flow of blood cell elements through the microchannel, was used. We measured a number of LA during 50 microL flow of whole blood through microchannels. In 12 age-matched healthy individuals, a number of LA during 50 microL flow of whole blood was 25.7+/-5.4, whereas in HD patients it was significantly increased up to 48.2+/-16.4 (P<0.001). Flow cytometry demonstrated that LA were predominantly monocytes. Leukocyte aggregates were positively associated with plasma levels of fibrinogen (P<0.01), or serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (P<0.01). Moreover, LA had highly significant associations with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (P<0.001) and IMT (P<0.001). In conclusion, we demonstrated hemorheologically that monocyte-platelet conjugates play an important role in aortic stiffness and IMT in HD patients.
authors: Department of Nephrology and Dialysis & Kidney Center, Shonan Kamakura General Hospital, 1202-1 Yamazaki Kamakura, Japan. shuzo@shonankamakura.or.jp
authors: Shuzo
authors: S
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Mitsuko
authors: M
authors: Miyamoto
authors: Hajime
authors: H
authors: Kurumatani
authors: Machiko
authors: M
authors: Oka
authors: Kyoko
authors: K
authors: Maesato
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Mano
authors: Ryota
authors: R
authors: Ikee
authors: Hidekazu
authors: H
authors: Moriya
authors: Takayasu
authors: T
authors: Ohtake
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology; D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000502:physiology; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods