Influence of hypertension and diabetes on erythrocyte aggreation by means of the digital analysis of images

LEBENSOHN, NATALIA; DELANNOY, M.; FONTANA, A.; ALESSI, A.; FORESTO, PATRICIA GLADYS; RIQUELME, BIBIANA DORIS; D'ARRIGO, MABEL

Montevideo, Uruguay

Conferencia; 6° Conferencia Internacional de Física Biológica; 2007

Sociedad Internacional de Biofísica

Hypertension (HTA) and diabetes (DBT) represent major risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebral-vascular ischemic disease. The mechanisms through which they can induce vascular damage are both metabolic and mechanical. Alterations in HTA are result of changes affecting both red cell intrinsic structure and their interactions with the plasmatic components. Microscopic images of the erythrocytes aggregations are obtained using an  inverted optical microscope (Union Optical, magnification 40x) connected to a camera CCD (change coupled device). There registered images that were processed digitally (Digital Image Processor, IPplus System), measuring itself the geometric dimensions of the aggregations to a program of suitable analysis of images (IPlab). With the perimeter and the area corresponding to every aggregation there decides the factor of form of the same ones (ASP), the what one has been defined in works previous his utility being demonstrated for the characterization and the detection of alterations in the morphology of the erythrocites aggregations , the results show an increase in the value of the ASP in case of the hypertense patients without observing significant alterations in the DB.  There were counted outlying, medium cells, aggregations of three and four cells and of more than five. The results show an increase of the aggregations of more than 5 cells in the HTA, a light decrease being observed in the DB and in the latter pathology an increase of the outlying cells comparing them with normal patients. The visualization of the microscopic images they show that the aggregations of red globules (GR) of patients HTA and DBT move away more pronounced  from the form of rouleaux corresponding to the GR of normal patients  One concludes that alterations can be observed in the state of aggregation both at macroscopic and microscopic level.