During aging in vivo as well as during storage in transfusion units, erythrocytes gradually loose the ability to change their shape (needed to pass through narrow capillaries).
Apparently, there are several high-tech methods to assess this property but we have no access to corresponding equipment at present.
The easiest 'home-made' assay seems to be a 'filtration' using filter discs of 5 µm pore size.
(i) Is there any other simple way to roughly estimate (relative) differences in deformability?
(ii) if no, can anybody provide a lab-protocol for the 'erythrocyte-filtration-assay'?
Many thanks in advance
Check RDW-SD, fL (erythrocyte volume distribution width), the index is very sensitive to the appearance of minor red cell populations with altered characteristics.
An EMA test (eosin-5-maleimide, flow cytometry) can be done. If the fluorescence goes up, it is already bad, the erythrocytes are irreversibly transformed.
I would suggest you a few options that can allow you to compare the deformability of two or more RBC samples:
1.mechanical fragility;
2. osmotic fragility;
3. membrane concentration of stomatin;
4. for stored RBC, vesicles concentration in the storage medium.
Methods for determining these features are given in the following publications.
Article Reduced Deformability of Stored Red Blood Cells is Associate...
Article Biophysical and Biochemical Markers of Red Blood Cell Fragility
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