Effect of alpha thalassaemia on the rheology of homozygous sickle cell disease

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Abstract
Summary. A study of rheological determinants (plasma viscosity, whole-blood viscosity, and erythrocyte deformability) was made in 24 matched pairs of patients with homozygous sickle cell disease, with and without homozygous α-thalassaemia 2. Patients with coexisting α-thalassaemia showed a significant increase in erythrocyte deformability measured as filtration of washed erythrocytes through 5 μm diameter pores and also as viscosity of whole blood at high shear rate (230 s−1) and standard haematocrit (0·45). This rheological advantage may explain the beneficial effect of α-thalassaemia 2 on haematological parameters and clinical events in homozygous sickle cell disease.

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