Study of individual erythrocyte deformability susceptibility to INFeD and ethanol using a microfluidic chip.

Human red blood cells (RBCs) deformability in vitro was assessed during iron dextran (INFeD) loading and/or ethanol co-administration using microfluidic deformability screening. The results showed donor-specific variations in dose dependent deformability shift were revealed below 500 μg/mL iron dextran. Two out of nine blood samples exhibited significant cell stiffening at 500 μg/mL iron dextran loading concentration (p < 0.05, Tukey test). More interestingly, co-administration of moderate amount of ethanol was identified to have significant protective effects on RBC deformability. We also noted that ethanol can reverse the deformability of impaired RBCs. Meanwhile obvious donor dependent response to ethanol administration on RBC deformability was noted using our biomimetic microfluidic chip.