INFLUENCE OF DIABETES-MELLITUS ON THE AGGREGATION MECHANISM AS ANALYZED BY HE-NE-LASER LIGHT-SCATTERING

The aggregation mechanism of erythrocytes in blood samples, obtained from diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, has been analyzed by He-Ne laser light scattering and is compared with that of the normal blood. The aggregation process in DM depends on the levels of plasma constituents. It starts early as indicated by the appearance of fluctuations in the scattered signal followed by their fast growth and disappearance from the field of observation due to sedimentation of large aggregates. The various parameters such as mean fluctuation amplitude, mean fluctuation width and time durations required for initiation (T1) and completion (T2) of aggregation are different from that of normal blood. The viscosity of blood in DM is increased which may be attributed to the altered plasma constituents and aggregation of erythrocytes. The decrease in erythrocyte deformability further suggests that the disease process may have affected the membrane of erythrocytes.