Abnormal rheological properties of red blood cells as a potential marker of Gulf War Illness: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND

Veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI) experience chronic symptoms that include fatigue, pain, and cognitive impairment. This symptom cluster may be the consequence of impaired tissue oxygen delivery due to red blood cell (RBC) dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine whether the microrheological behavior of RBCs is altered in GWI.

METHODS

We recruited 17 cases of GWI (GWI+) and 10 age matched controls (GWI-), and examined RBC deformability and aggregation via ektacytometry along with measurement of complete blood counts.

RESULTS

RBCs were more deformable in GWI+, as indicated by higher elongation indices particularly at higher shear stress values (5.33, 9.49, and 16.89) when compared to GWI-. Aggregation formation, stability and kinetics were similar between GWI+and GWI-. Complete blood counts were also similar, with the exception of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and RBC distribution width (RDW) which was elevated in GWI+.

CONCLUSIONS

In this preliminary study, we observed increased deformability along with increased MCH, MCHC and RDW in veterans with GWI+, which may contribute to the symptomatology of GWI. Further research is required to confirm our findings and the role of RBC microrheology in GWI.