Prediction of RBC aggregability and deformability by whole body bioimpedance measurements analyzed according to Hanai's mixture conductivity theory.

Bioelectrical impedancemetry (BIA) has been used to evaluate hemorheological parameters in vitro, and whole body impedance measurements are also correlated to some hemorheologic factors, due to their close relationship with determinants of electric properties of blood. In previous studies, we have determined a set of predictive equations for hematocrit, whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity in both sedentary and trained individuals. Recent developments of the interpretation of BIA analysis based on Hanai's mixture conductivity theory allows a more interpretative analysis of the relationships between these electric measurements and body composition. Impedance can be analyzed in terms of resistance and resistivity of the whole body and even more, assuming some simplifications, resistance R and resistivity ρ of total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW) and intracellular water (ICW). In this study we thus investigated relationships between blood rheology and these calculations of R and ρ in a sample of 83 subjects (age: 9-64 yr; BMI: 17-44 kg/m(2)). BIA was performed with a multifrequency bioelectrical impedancemeter using low intensity at the following frequencies: 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 kHz. Viscometric measurements were done with a falling ball viscometer. Hematocrit was measured with microcentrifuge. We found a new prediction of Quemada's viscometric index of RBC rigidity "k" which was positively correlated to the resistance of ECW (R(e)) and even more if it was related to this volume: k = 0.005809 R(e)/ECW + 1.1784 (r = 0.487; Bland-Altman mean difference: 0.0124; range: -0.00481 to 0.00296). A new finding was that red blood cells (RBC) aggregability, that in the previous studies was not related to whole body impedance, despite its in vitro measurability with such measurements, was correlated to extracellular resistance and resistivity. The Myrenne index "M" was negatively correlated to the resistivity of the extracellular fluid ρe and is predicted by: M = -27.4755 ρ(e) + 1121.57029 (r = 0.463; Bland-Altman mean difference: 0.00194; range: -0.842 to 0.842). Furthermore, the SEFAM index "S(10)" is correlated to the ρe and is predicted by S(10) = -59.38579 (ρ(e)-40) + 63.083 (r = 0.761; Bland-Altman mean difference: 0.000722; range: -1.77 to 1.77). Therefore, a more in-depth analysis of electric properties of the body provides a closer approach of RBC rheology, although, of course, most remains to be understood in this intriguing domain.