Erythrocyte mechanical fragility is increased in patients with type 2 diabetes

BackgroundAnemia is common among patients with type 2 diabetes. We determined whether type 2 diabetic patients significantly differed in erythrocyte mechanical fragility as compared with nondiabetic subjects.MethodsWe recruited 25 Caucasian patients with type 2 diabetes (14 men and 11 women; mean age 58 ± 8 years) and 25 age-, race- and sex-matched nondiabetic individuals. The fragility of erythrocytes was tested by inducing mechanical hemolysis by double aspiration of K₂EDTA blood through a 0.5 mL insulin syringe equipped with a very thin needle. The plasma was then separated from the blood cells by centrifugation at 2000 xg for 15 min at room temperature. A Beckman Coulter DxC 800 was used to measure the hemolysis index by direct spectrophotometry.ResultsCompared with matched nondiabetic controls, type 2 diabetic patients had a significantly increased mechanical fragility of erythrocytes (hemolysis index ratio 21 ± 13 vs. 14 ± 10, p = 0.02). Univariable linear regression analysis revealed that there was a strong positive association between percent hemolysis and fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.669, p < 0.001) and hemoglobin A1c (r = 0.549, p < 0.005) in type 2 diabetic subjects, but not in matched nondiabetic controls.ConclusionsOur data suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes have a significantly higher erythrocyte mechanical fragility than matched nondiabetic subjects, and that fasting plasma glucose is the strongest correlate of increased mechanical fragility of erythrocytes in this patients group.