Red blood cell deformability in polycythaemia vera does not depend on hypochromic microcytosis

Abstract

Dilute suspension of EDTAK2 anticoagulated red blood cells from 28 patients with polycythaemia vera and 22 healthy controls were filtered through 5 µm polycarbonate filters under a vacuum of 10 cm H₂O.

The mean erythrocyte filtration times (EFT), taken as a measure of red blood deformability, were not statistically different in patients in comparison to controls.

However a group of 39% of patients showed EFT two standard deviations above the mean of controls; the values were unrelated to MCV and MCH of erythrocytes.