Decreased erythrocyte deformability in glycogen storage disease

Liver glycogen storage diseases (GSD) are disorders associated with severe dyslipidaemia which can induce cell membrane alterations and possibly reduced cell deformability. Since decreased erythrocyte deformability is known to disturb blood flow in capillaries and may promote ischaemic diseases, this study was designed to investigate erythrocyte deformability using a new filtration system, the Cell Transit Analyser (CTA), and to examine lipid compounds in the blood of 23 patients affected with GSD, aged from 1 to 20 years and 18 controls aged from 1 to 17 years. The patients showed a mixed hyperlipidaemia with predominent hypertriglyceridaemia and an increase in erythrocytes mean transit times (TT) due to the presence of more rigid erythrocytes subpopulations when compared to controls. Thus the erythrocyte rigidity, in addition to the lipid abnormalities must be taken into account for long-term evolution of GSD patients. Moreover this cellular alteration may contribute to shortened erythrocyte survival.