[Role of red blood cell changes in chronic occlusion of low limb arteries].

To study morphofunctional status of red blood cells, peripheral blood was investigated in 49 patients with chronic occlusions of low limb arteries (COLLA) and 23 healthy donors matched by gender and age. Circulation in the limbs was assessed by infrared thermography. Photometry provided data on microrheological properties of blood by reversible red cell aggregation. Scanning electron microscopy examined superficial red cell architectonics. The findings evidence that red cell aggregation in COLLA patients enhances irrespective of the ischemia degree while dysaggregation declines, polymorphism of red cell polymorphism grows with an increase of the number of transformed cells varying by degeneration stage. The above changes in red cell microrheology contribute to impairment of microcirculatory perfusion and tissue hypoxia in COLLA patients.