title: Multifractal characterization of morphology of human red blood cells membrane skeleton.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to show applicability of multifractal analysis in investigations of the morphological changes of ultra-structures of red blood cells (RBCs) membrane skeleton measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Human RBCs obtained from healthy and hypertensive donors as well as healthy erythrocytes irradiated with neutrons (45 μGy) were studied. The membrane skeleton of the cells was imaged using AFM in a contact mode. Morphological characterization of the three-dimensional RBC surfaces was realized by a multifractal method. The nanometre scale study of human RBCs surface morphology revealed a multifractal geometry. The generalized dimensions Dq and the singularity spectrum f(α) provided quantitative values that characterize the local scale properties of their membrane skeleton organization. Surface characterization was made using areal ISO 25178-2: 2012 topography parameters in combination with AFM topography measurement. The surface structure of human RBCs is complex with hierarchical substructures resulting from the organization of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton. The analysed AFM images confirm a multifractal nature of the surface that could be useful in histology to quantify human RBC architectural changes associated with different disease states. In case of very precise measurements when the red cell surface is not wrinkled even very fine differences can be uncovered as was shown for the erythrocytes treated with a very low dose of ionizing radiation.
authors.affiliation: Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of AET, Discipline of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania.
authors.forename: Ş
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Ţălu
authors.affiliation: University of Silesia, Faculty of Computer Science and Materials Science, Institute of Informatics, Department of Biomedical Computer Systems, Sosnowiec, Poland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stach
authors.affiliation: AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Department of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Kraków, al. Mickiewicza, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaczmarska
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Kraków, ul. Sniadeckich, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fornal
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum, Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Kraków, ul. Sniadeckich, Poland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grodzicki
authors.affiliation: AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, Department of Nuclear Energy, Kraków, al. Mickiewicza, Poland.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pohorecki
authors.affiliation: AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, Department of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Kraków, al. Mickiewicza, Poland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burda
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D013499:Surface Properties
keywords: Atomic force microscopy; human red blood cells; membrane skeleton; multifractal analysis; shape transformations; surface roughness