THE INFLUENCE OF PHOTOHAEMOTHERAPY ON BLOOD RHEOLOGY IN BRONCHIAL ASTHMA

Background: Blood rheology abnormalities are recognized as one of the main pathophysiological components of bronchial asthma. Standard medical treatment of bronchial asthma does not exert any substantial effect on blood fluidity.

 Aim: To assess efficacy of quantum haemotherapy and its influence on blood rheology in the combination treatment of bronchial asthma.

Materials and methods: Four hundred and eighty patients admitted to our in-patient department with mild (44.5%) and severe (55.5%) exacerbations of persistent moderate asthma, were randomized into two groups: the main group (n = 250), which, along with conventional treatment, received photohaemotherapy with blue (PHB, n = 220) or red (PHR, n = 30) light, and the control group (n = 230), which received conventional treatment for two weeks. PHB (light-emitting diode devise “Solaris”) and PHR (helium neon laser) was performed according to the following regimen: duration of a session 30 minutes, number of sessions, from 5 to 7 with in-between intervals of 2 to 3 days. The degree of erythrocyte deformation, relative membrane charge and relative gradient membrane potential of erythrocytes, total erythrocyte counts, hemoglobin levels, hematocrit, and blood viscosity were assessed at days 1 and 14, as well as after 3 months.

Results: At day 14, the relative gradient membrane potential of erythrocytes decreased to 0.118 ± 0.01 r.u. in the PHB group, to 0.167 ± 0.01 r.u. in the PHR group, and to 0.153 ± 0.01 r.u. in the conventional treatment group. The relative charge of erythrocyte membranes increased to 0.202 ± 0.07, 0.19 ± 0.07 and 0.14 ± 0.07 r.u., the degree of erythrocyte deformation decreased to 1.4 ± 0.1, 1.6 ± 0.1 and 1.9 ± 0.1 scores, the degree of hypoxic anisotropy of the serum decreased to 0.8, 0.9 and 1.2 scores, respectively (in all cases, p < 0.05 for comparison with baseline values). However, a significant difference of all parameters from the normal range persisted (p < 0.001). No significant changes of hemoglobin and total erythrocyte counts were observed during the whole follow up period. At the end of the photohaemotherapy course, blood viscosity in the PHB group decreased to 4.55 ± 0.11 mPa·s (from the baseline value of 5.04 ± 0.13 mPa·s, p < 0.05), and was close to normal range (4.5 ± 0.3 mPa·s). In the conventionally treated group, blood viscosity was not changed (5.41 ± 0.11 mPa·s before treatment and 5.39 ± 0.12 mPa·s thereafter, p > 0.05). At month 3, all patients, despite their clinical well-being, demonstrated a deterioration of the parameters studies. However, only in the conventionally treated group the degree of this deterioration was compatible with parameters registered during an asthma exacerbation.

Conclusion: Blood rheology parameters demonstrated a more rapid and advanced improvement in patients with exacerbations of bronchial asthma, who were treated with the use of photohaemotherapy, compared to those who received conventional treatment only.