Study on the Red Cells Sediment After Clotting of Polycythaemic Blood

Summary

Using normal blood citrated or native, artificial haematocrit levels were obtained in vitro by increasing the relative amount of red cells. Clotting and lytic factors were studied, clot retraction and red cells sediment were measured. Clot retraction was found inversely proportional to the haematocrit level. Red cells sediment and proaccelerin times increased in proportion to the haematocrit level. There was no change in fibrinogen level nor in lytic activity in connection with haematocrit.

Thus high red cells sediment found in polycythaemia does not seem to be related to proteolysis but to the incapacity of the fibrin net to retain the excess of cells. The prolonged proaccelerin time is itself not the result of proteolysis but could be an adsorption of factor V on the red cell surface.

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