RED BLOOD CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH PROGRESSING ANGINA RECEIVING DIFFERENT PHARMACEUTICAL THERAPY VARIANTS

The study assessed the dynamic of red blood cell (RBC) structure, aggregation, and deformation in patients with progressing angina receiving standard therapy or therapy including an antioxidant medication mexicor. In total, fifty 53–65-year-old patients with progressing angina and Stage III essential arterial hypertension (EAH) were examined. The comparison group included 20 patients with Stage III EAH. Angina patients were divided into subgroups, according to antioxidant-cytoprotector mexicor presence or absence in combined therapy scheme. RBC structure was assessed by phase-contrast cell microscopy; transformation index (TI), reversible transformation index (RTI), irreversible transformation index (ITI), and reversibility index (RI) were calculated. RBC aggregation was assessed by direct optic method, with mean aggregate size (MAS), aggregation index (AI), and non-aggregated RBC percentage (NAP) calculation. RBC deformation was studied by filtration method, with rigidity index (RiI) calculation. Angina patients demonstrated significant changes in RBC structure and function, comparing to the control group: reduced discocyte number, increased degenerative RBC number, AI, MAS, RiI and decreased NAP. Mexicor therapy was associated with increased discocyte and reduced degenerative RBC numbers, decreased AI and MAS, comparing to standard therapy scheme. Combined mexicor-including therapy demonstrated beneficial effects on RBC structure, aggregation and deformation in patients with progressing angina. Studying the dynamics of RBC rheology provides the evidence for choosing additional pharmaceutical therapy and assessing its effectiveness