Oxygen-dependent flow of sickle trait blood as an in vitro therapeutic benchmark for sickle cell disease treatments.

ABSTRACT: Although homozygous sickle cell disease is often clinically severe, the corresponding heterozygous state, sickle cell trait, is almost completely benign despite the fact that there is only a modest difference in sickle hemoglobin levels between the two conditions. In both conditions, hypoxia can lead to polymerization of sickle hemoglobin, changes in red cell mechanical properties, and impaired blood flow. Here, we test the hypothesis that differences in the oxygen-dependent rheological properties in the two conditions might help explain the difference in clinical phenotypes. We use a microfluidic platform that permits quantification of blood rheology under defined oxygen conditions in physiologically sized microchannels and under physiologic shear rates. We find that, even with its lower

SUBMITTER: Lu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6604607 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature