Evaluation of the elastic properties and topography of leukocytes surface in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using atomic force microscope

A. Alexandrova, N. Antonova, M. Yu. Skorkina, E. Shamray, O. V. Cherkashina

Резюме: The aim of study was to examine some morphometrical parameters (height, diameter) of the leukocytes (white blood cells – WBCs), their specific surface morphology (globular prominences and depression in WBCs) as well as their local elastic properties (Young’s modulus) in healthy persons and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by means of the atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Morphological and morphometrical parameters of human leukocytes were evaluated by AFM in tapped mode. A twenty subjects were investigated divided into 2 groups: 1st group – 10 patients with T2DM; 2nd group – 10 healthy controls. In each of the groups, 10 leukocytes were examined. The samples for scanning were prepared by the methods of M. Yu. Skorkina et al. (2009, 2011).The elastic properties of leukocytes were characterized in the mode of force spectroscopy.
The results show that in the patients with T2DM the diameter of leukocytes was increased, but the cell height was significantly decreased, in comparison with the corresponding parameters in healthy donors. It was observed an significantly increase in the Young’s modulus in the T2DM. A significant increase in the number of globular prominences and depressions on the WBCs in T2DM patients was found, in comparison with leukocytes of healthy individuals.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.31, No.3 (2017), 16-24

Ключови думи: Atomic force microscopy (AFM); leukocytes (WBCs); type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)

Дата на публикуване: 2017-12-12