DEFORMABILITY OF ADHERED CELLS STUDY BY MEANS OF DIGITAL MICROSCOPIC IMAGES

The purpose of this research was to analyze cellular deformability on different adhesion states and define a new deformability parameter assayed through a flow chamber and digital image analysis. Agglutinates of two erythrocytes linked by a specific monoclonal antibody (doublet) were used as an experimental model. The fixed doublet inside the flow chamber was subjected to different shear stresses through a laminar flow. As a consequence, the cells were deformed, acquiring a hydrodynamic ellipsoidal shape. Microscopic images were registered by a CCD (charged coupled device) camera adapted to an inverted microscope and connected to a digital video system. These images were then digitally processed, measuring the geometric dimensions of the cell projected area adopted during the deformation process. Studying the relationship between shear stress and deformability made it possible to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of the erythrocyte membrane under different adhesion situations. This study could help enhance the knowledge of blood behavior in circulation and provides a new deformability parameter, which could give relevant information about the alteration in cellular adhesion properties in vascular pathologies particularly.