[Assay of the thromborheological properties of blood by measurement of the filtration pressure of normal blood across polycarbonate filters].

A simple test for the evaluation of the thromborheological properties of native blood was developed. The test measured the filtration pressure produced by the 24-sec passage of 1.5 ml of native blood through a polycarbonate filter with pores of 5 mu. Healthy subjects, patients with symptomatic atherosclerosis and patients with miscellaneous non-vascular disorders taking neither drugs active on red blood cell deformability nor on platelet and hemostatic functions were examined by this test. No correlations between filtration pressure of native blood and fibrinogen, PTT, factor VIIIR:Ag and hematocrit values were found. The results suggest that this test may be useful in the detection of thrombophilic patients and in monitoring the effectiveness of drugs known to be active on red blood cell deformability and/or on platelet and hemostatic functions.