Translational studies of electrophoretic mobility and phase picture of erythrocytes with consideration of development of stress response during a pathological process

Rationale: Modern cell diagnostic methods are in high demand during the development of new approaches in personalized medicine. Coherent phase interferometry and cell microelectrophoresis are among such methods that are being actively introduced into the diagnostic process in medical institutions.

Aim: To substantiate the potential use of biophysical and morphodensitometrical erythrocytes parameters as criteria of treatment efcacy and course of adaptation process in patients with gastrointestinal tract disorders.

Materials and methods: The study included 25 patients aged from 40 to 54 years (11 males and 14 females), among them 9 (36%) with gastric peptic ulcer, 3 (12%) with duodenal ulcer, 8 (32%) with acute gastritis, and 5 (20%) with acute pancreatitis. Biophysical and morphological particulars of peripheral blood erythrocytes were assessed before and after treatment using cell diagnostic techniques, such as microelectrophoresis and laser modulation interference microscopy. Also, we evaluated changes over time in routine clinical laboratory tests, such as red and white blood cell counts, hemoglobin levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and differential leukocyte counts. The control group included 10 healthy donors aged from 36 to 52 years. In vitro experiments were performed to assess the erythrocyte electrophoretic mobility (EEPM) and morphology of erythrocytes treated with epinephrine or cortisol.

Results: After the treatment, the patients demonstrated a decrease in their leukocyte counts (by 27%), a 2-fold increase in monocyte counts and an ESR decrease (by 10%), compared to the corresponding baseline values before treatment (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). EEPM increased by 12% (1.37 vs. 1.22 mcm × cm/V × s, p < 0.05). The erythrocyte pool of the patients before treatment, had a decreased proportion of discocytes, compared to that in the control group (85.2 vs. 95.4%, р < 0.05), increased proportions of echinocytes, stomatocytes and degenerative forms (11, 2.8 and 1%, respectively, р < 0.05). After the treatment, the discocytes counts increased virtually up to their physiological normal range (91.3%). However, the surface of the discoid cells remained heterogeneous with multiple microspicules; this resulted in changes of electrokinetic and morphological properties of erythrocyte response to stress reaction occurring in the body. The impact of the stress effectors was confrmed in in vitro experiments assessing the effects of epinephrine (1 × 10^-9 g/mL) and cortisol (5 × 10^-7 g/mL) on erythrocytes. At 120 minutes of the experiment, epinephrine decreased EEPM (1.14 vs. 1.24 mcm × cm/V × s at baseline, р < 0.05) and increased cell sphericity. On the contrary, cortisol increased EEPM (1.72 vs. 1.36 mcm × cm/V × s, р < 0.05), with non-signifcant echinocytic transformation.

Conclusion: Biophysical and morphodensitometric parameters of red blood cells obtained with the use of current express methods of cell microelectrophoresis and coherent interference microscopy help to objectivize the intensity of stress response during a pathological process and activation of adaptation mechanisms during the treatment.