Abstract
Seven patients suffering from sickle cell disease were treated over a period of eight weeks with 30–36 mg/kg pentoxifylline. Rheologic properties of erythrocytes from these patients were studied before and after treatment by cell filtration through polycarbonate filters.
Erythrocytes of the patients passed through the filter pores more slowly than cells from healthy controls. Oxygen saturation leads to an increased filterability of the erythrocytes of the patients. After in vivo treatment with pentoxifylline the filtration rate was significantly improved without oxygen saturation.
The number of sickled shaped cells was monitored before and during treatment with pentoxifylline. As a result of treatment improvement in filterability was associated with a decrease in irreversibly sickled cells.
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