Blood viscosity and its relationship to iron deficiency, symptoms, and exercise capacity in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Objectives: This study sought to determine the relationship between blood viscosity and iron deficiency and their impact on symptoms and exercise function in adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease.

Background: Iron deficiency is believed to raise whole blood viscosity in cyanotic congenital heart disease, although available data are inconsistent.

Methods: Thirty-nine cyanotic adults were prospectively assessed for iron deficiency (transferrin saturation < or =5%), hyperviscosity symptoms, and exercise capacity.

Haemorheology in Gaucher disease.

Unlabelled: In Gaucher disease, a deficiency of glucocerebrosidase results in the accumulation of glucocerebroside within the lysosomes of the monocyte-macrophage system. Prior to the availability of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), splenectomy was often indicated for hypersplenism. Haemorheological abnormalities could be expected in view of the anaemia and abnormal lipid metabolism in these patients and the role of the spleen in controlling erythrocyte quality.

Erythrocyte hyper-aggregation in a patient undergoing orthotopic transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis complicated by biliary stricture.

We report on the hemorheological profile of a 16 year old school girl in whom liver transplant was performed due to primary sclerosing cholangitis complicated by biliary stricture. This patient turned out to be of particular hemorheological interest, displaying pre-transplant grossly increased hematocrit-standardized (45%) blood viscosity due to hyperaggregation and elevated plasma viscosity, which is a reflection of elevated immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) and alpha-2-macroglobulin. Post-transplant values of rheological parameters were within the normal range for healthy controls.

Pregnancy at high altitude: a hyperviscosity state.

Background: Pregnancy at high altitude has been associated with intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia. These conditions, at sea level, have been linked to increased hematocrit and blood viscosity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high altitude on maternal hemorheology.

Hyperviscosity as a complication in a variety of disorders.

For a considerable time, hyperviscosity syndrome has been widely recognized as a serious manifestation of polycythemia and plasma cell dyscrasia. In this article a number of conditions will be considered in which the association with hyperviscosity has been more recently recognized and is less widely known. These conditions are hyperleukocytosis, retinoic acid therapy, and connective tissue disease such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Abnormal hemorheological properties in patients with compensated and decompensated hepatic cirrhosis.

In this study the hemorheological profiles of blood samples from cirrhotic patients (compensated and decompensated) were determined, along with 18 normal healthy volunteers for comparison. Both groups of patients were anaemic, and as a consequence had a lower native blood viscosity by comparison with the healthy control group. However, after adjusting the hematocrit to 45% the high shear rate (128 s(-1)) viscosity was within the normal range, while that at low shear rate (0.

Effect of ionic strength of buffer on the measurement of erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility.

Background: Measurement of the electrophoretic mobility (EM) of biological cells provides information on the electrical properties of the cell surface. Different research groups have used different electrophoretic techniques. It is well known that the osmolality of the buffer used during an experiment exerts a major impact on EM, particularly in biological cells.