Cholesterol quantification in different sizes red blood cells. Values obtained in people with cardiovascular risk

Abstract

Human red blood cells are incomplete cells . Based on their size, they can be classified into: macrocytes, normocytes and microcytes. Their plasma membrane is responsible for their morphology and elasticity and contributes to their deformability. Their rheological properties reflect their structure. They are flexible to access the smallest capillaries and adapt to the blood flow, and the incorporation of cholesterol to their plasma membrane directly affects their rheological properties. The aims of this study were to analyze the influence of cell volume to quantify the cholesterol from red blood cells and to establish an independent measurement parameter and its relation to patients with cardiovascular risk and HDL- C. To determine cholesterol in the plasma membrane of red blood cells, we used the classical extraction method with alcohol ether and subsequent determination of cholesterol by the enzymatic method. Haematological parameters were determined in a haematology analyser and serum HDL-C was determined by fractional precipitation with magnesium chloride and dextran sulfate. The amount of cholesterol in red blood cells was expressed both as micrograms of cholesterol per 10 million red blood cells and as micrograms of cholesterol per 10 million red blood cells for every 90 fentoliters, and grouped into three groups: control, heart and diabetes. Both parameters showed inverse relationship with HDL-cholesterol. The parameter micrograms of cholesterol per 10 million red blood cells depends on the mean corpuscular volume and it cannot explain increases in cholesterol, independently of variations in cell size. Including cell volume in calculations.