Whether age renders RBCs more susceptible to decreased deformability [ 41], or a particular subset of RBCs associated with decreased deformability [ 22] leads to impaired RBC O2-dependent ATP efflux is unknown.
Increased blood viscosity is treated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders; decreased deformability and increased aggregation of red blood cells (RBC) were reported in such diseases as hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and coronary artery disease [ 3, 5– 9].
Condon and coworkers [ 70] reported that 'elderly' RBCs, comprising 20% of the circulating erythrocytes, were most susceptible to decreased deformability and that Hb content decreased in a large fraction of the RBCs during sepsis.
Several studies have demonstrated that RBC rheology is impaired (increased aggregation, decreased deformability, alterations of RBC shape) in sepsis [36 39].
Aged cells exhibit decreased deformability, electric mobility and lower surface negative charge [3], [4].
Among the spectrum of haematological abnormalities in diabetes, erythrocyte aggregation and decreased deformability of erythrocytes predominate.
In this study, increased blood viscosity with decreasing temperature may be one explanation for the decreased deformability.
Several studies have demonstrated that RBC rheology is impaired (increased aggregation, decreased deformability, alterations of RBC shape) in sepsis [ 36- 39].
Among the spectrum of haematological abnormalities in diabetes, erythrocyte aggregation and decreased deformability of erythrocytes feature strongly [ 32].
Morphological changes in erythrocytes occur during storage which may result in increased fragility, decreased viability, and decreased deformability of red blood cells.
