Abstract
Decreased blood filterability has been found in intermittent claudicants, compared to age matched controls. An analysis of the initial filtration rate and of filter plugging showed:
Decreased filterability was caused essentially by filter clogging, rather than by change of initial filtration rate. The remaining white cells in the suspension play a significant role in the plugging of the filter, however they cannot be held responsible for all the plugging observed. Filtration tests measuring more than 0.1–0.2 ml suspension of 0.05 haematocrit are more sensitive to filter plugging than to red cell passage time. The measurement of red cell deformability (defined as transit time through a 5 µm pore) requires more sensitive methods than any of those used so far in clinical studies. The white cell count in the buffy coat depleted blood was related to the plasma viscosity but not to the white cell count in the original whole blood, suggesting significant differences in cell adherence which might be an important factor 1n blood filterability.
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