Hemorheological properties in patients with solid tumors

Malysheva Yu. V., Tikhomirova I. A., Ryabov M. M., Kislov N. V.

Abstract: Alterations of the rheological properties of blood are of great importance for blood circulation in malignancies due to the changes of blood transportation capacity and the possible thrombotic complications. The aim of our study was to estimate changes of blood rheological properties in patients with solid tumors. Healthy volunteers (n=30) and patients with non-myeloid tumors (n=35) were enrolled in this study. Brookfield viscometer DV2T (USA) was used for plasma viscosity and whole blood viscosity measurements. RBC deformability and critical stress were evaluated by RheoScan D300 system (South Korea). Extent of RBC aggregation was estimated by direct light microscopic technique with computer image analysis. Whole blood viscosity in patients group was by 20% (p<0.01) lower than in control mainly due to the substantial decrease (by 22%, p<0.01) of hematocrit. Plasma viscosity was almost unchanged, while RBC deformability was reduced (by 2%, p<0.05), extent of RBC aggregation was dramatically increased (by 33%, p<0.01) and critical stress (minimum shear stress required to disperse aggregated RBC) was by 48% (p<0.01) higher than in control.
In patients with cancer reduced number of erythrocytes (the main carriers of oxygen), decreased deformability of red blood cells and increased extent of aggregation impaired the oxygen supply to tissue. Low hematocrit and worsened RBC microrheological properties compensated by anemia didn’t cause an increase of blood viscosity but might facilitate tissue hypoxia diminishing tissue oxygenation that favors thrombosis, settlement of tumor-cells and thus metastasis.

Keywords: blood viscosity; Cancer; hematocrit; RBC aggregation; RBC deformability

Date published: 2015-12-10