Experimental evidences underline that hemorheological alterations observed in
acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are strictly involved in the decreased
perfusion of the damaged area and in the extension of the necrotic regions. We
have analyzed whole blood filterability as an index of erythrocyte deformability
in 60 AMI patients compared with 30 patients with non‐acute coronary artery
disease and 52 healthy subjects.
Nucleopore polycarbonate membranes with a pore diameter of 5 µm and a filtering
pressure of
-20
cm H
_2
O were used. The results are
expressed as the volume of whole blood filtered in 1 minute (index of
filterability, IF). In normal subjects IF was 1.16 ± 0.24. Among AMI patients IF
was 0.70 ± 0.30 at admission, 0.68 ± 017 at day 10 and 0.78 ± 0.14 at day 20.
These values were significantly lower than those obtained in normal subjects and
in patients with non‐acute coronary artery disease. In addition, AMI patients
treated with thrombolytic therapy showed, at admission, a significantly higher
IF value than that obtained in patients who did not receive thrombolytic
treatment (0.85 ± 0.34 vs 0.60 ± 0.22;
p<{}
0.01). These results
demonstrate an evident reduction of whole blood filterability in AMI patients
that may be considered as an index of erythrocyte deformability. Thrombolytic
therapy seems to have a positive effect on blood filterability and may produce
beneficial effects through its therapeutical action other than the lysis of the
coronary thrombus.
