Interaction of erythrocytes in the process of pair aggregation in blood samples from patients with arterial hypertension and healthy donors: measurements with laser tweezers

Abstract

Two-channel laser tweezers are used to measure the interaction kinetics of two erythrocytes at the initial stage of aggregation, i.e., the formation of a pair aggregate in vitro. The study of erythrocytes interaction is important both for understanding the fundamental aggregation mechanisms and for evaluating the differences in kinetics and dynamics of aggregation, depending on the presence or absence of diseases that disturb the blood flow parameters and, therefore, the oxygen supply to tissues. We analyse the kinetics and dynamics of pair aggregation of erythrocytes in blood samples from more than 60 patients with arterial hypertension, as well as from a group of healthy donors. The results show that both kinetics and dynamics of erythrocyte aggregation are changed in the presence of the considered pathology.

Keywords

• aggregation
• arterial hypertension
• optical trap
• manipulation of single cells
• aggregation force
• erythrocytes