Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, 85-067 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 6;24(19):14952. doi: 10.3390/ijms241914952.
Several studies have indicated that COVID-19 can lead to alterations in blood rheology, including an increase in red blood cell aggregation. The precise mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not yet fully comprehended. The latest findings suggest that erythrocyte aggregation significantly influences microcirculation, causes the formation of blood clots in blood vessels, and even damages the endothelial glycocalyx, leading to endothelial dysfunction. The focus of this research lies in investigating the cellular factors influencing these changes in aggregation and discussing potential causes and implications in the context of COVID-19 pathophysiology. For this purpose, the aggregation of erythrocytes in a group of 52 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was examined in a 70 kDa Dextran solution, which eliminates the influence of plasma factors. Using image analysis, the velocities and sizes of the formed aggregates were investigated, determining their porosity. This study showed that the process of erythrocyte aggregation in COVID-19 patients, independent of plasma factors, leads to the formation of more compact, denser, three-dimensional aggregates. These aggregates may be less likely to disperse under circulatory shear stress, increasing the risk of thrombotic events. This study also suggests that cellular aggregation factors can be responsible for the thrombotic disorders observed long after infection, even when plasma factors have normalized. The results and subsequent broad discussion presented in this study can contribute to a better understanding of the potential complications associated with increased erythrocyte aggregation.
多项研究表明,COVID-19 可导致血液流变性改变,包括红细胞聚集增加。这种现象背后的确切机制尚未完全理解。最新发现表明,红细胞聚集显著影响微循环,导致血管内血栓形成,甚至损害内皮糖萼,导致内皮功能障碍。本研究的重点在于研究影响聚集变化的细胞因素,并讨论 COVID-19 病理生理学背景下的潜在原因和影响。为此,在 70 kDa 葡聚糖溶液中检查了一组 52 例 COVID-19 肺炎患者的红细胞聚集,该溶液消除了血浆因素的影响。通过图像分析,研究了形成的聚集物的速度和大小,确定了其孔隙率。这项研究表明,COVID-19 患者的红细胞聚集过程,独立于血浆因素,导致更紧密、更密集、三维聚集物的形成。这些聚集物在循环剪切应力下可能不易分散,增加血栓事件的风险。本研究还表明,即使血浆因子恢复正常,细胞聚集因子也可能是感染后很长时间观察到的血栓性疾病的原因。本研究的结果和随后的广泛讨论可以帮助更好地理解与红细胞聚集增加相关的潜在并发症。