New evidence of red blood cell rheological disorders in β‐thalassaemia minor

Abstract

Haemorheological parameters, such as red blood cell deformability, membrane elastic modulus and membrane surface viscosity in twenty one thalassaemia heterozygous patients (14 β⁰/β and 7 β⁺/β) were compared with normal individuals (n=15). Parameters were measured applying a laser diffractometric method (ektacytometry). Thalassaemia erythrocytes showed statistically significant lower deformability and higher elastic modulus. Surface viscosity showed no significant differences in thalassaemia. Creep and recovery curves were registered by diffractometry. The normal recovery curve was fitted by a first order exponential decay function, expressing the fitting degree by the χ² coefficient. The shape of the recovery curve in β‐thalassaemia patients (β⁰/β or β⁺/β) was significantly different from the control group. The possible mechanism of red blood cells abnormal rheological behaviour in β‐thalassaemia minor could be explained by a surface charge reduction. Our results enable us to conclude that the shape of the recovery curve (χ² coefficient) could be considered as a marker that might be useful in β‐thalassaemia diagnosis.