Key result
Essential hypertension is linked to increased erythrocyte detachment forces and elevated gamma-prime fibrinogen levels.
Why the study?
The role of fibrinogen, particularly the γ' fibrinogen variant, in erythrocyte aggregation and cardiovascular risk in essential arterial hypertension is not fully understood.
Does essential arterial hypertension and high fibrinogen levels increase erythrocyte adhesion forces compared to healthy donors?
Observational
Does essential arterial hypertension and high fibrinogen levels increase erythrocyte adhesion forces compared to healthy donors?
Essential arterial hypertension is associated with increased erythrocyte adhesion forces and higher γ' fibrinogen levels, potentially contributing to increased cardiovascular risk through altered blood flow.
Higher erythrocyte adhesion forces in hypertension may flag fibrinogen-driven risk; hypothesis-generating for γ' variant role, needs prospective validation.
The increase of erythrocyte aggregation by high fibrinogen levels may be an indicator of cardiovascular risk. γ' fibrinogen variant has been considered as a possible player in enhancing aggregation. Here, we assessed, at the single-cell level, the influence of fibrinogen on erythrocyte aggregation in essential arterial hypertension. We also aimed at understanding how γ' fibrinogen is altered in this disease. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we show that the work and force necessary for erythrocyte-erythrocyte detachment is higher for patients than for healthy donors, with these parameters further increasing in both groups when higher fibrinogen concentrations are present. This can be associated with changes in blood flow, due to transient bridging of two erythrocytes by fibrinogen, representing an important cardiovascular risk factor. γ' fibrinogen can influence the increased risk in essential arterial hypertension, as we demonstrate that its levels are significantly increased in these patients' blood. Nevertheless, this cannot be the only cause for the changes observed in the AFM data.
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Guedes et al. (2017) conducted an observational in Essential arterial hypertension. Essential arterial hypertension vs. Healthy donors was evaluated on Erythrocyte-erythrocyte detachment work and force. Patients with essential arterial hypertension exhibited higher erythrocyte-erythrocyte detachment forces and significantly increased γ' fibrinogen levels compared to healthy donors.
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