Authors:
Christian Klenk
1
;
David Fresacher
1
;
2
;
Stefan Röhrl
2
;
Dominik Heim
1
;
Manuel Lengl
2
;
Simon Schumann
2
;
Martin Knopp
1
;
Klaus Diepold
2
;
Stefan Holdenrieder
3
and
Oliver Hayden
1
Affiliations:
1
Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Biomedical Engineering, Technical University Munich, Arcisstr. 21, Munich, Germany
;
2
Chair for Data Processing, Technical University Munich, Arcisstr. 21, Munich, Germany
;
3
Institute for Laboratory Medicine, German Heart Centre Munich, Lazarettstr. 36, Munich, Germany
Keyword(s):
Quantitative Phase Imaging, Microfluidics, Haematology, Machine Learning, Thrombocytes, Haemostasis, Digital Holographic Microscopy, Blood Cells, Flow Cytometry.
Abstract:
Blood cell aggregates are gaining importance as a possible biomarker for various diseases. However, due to technical limitations of common analysers, mostly only interactions between leukocytes and platelets are measured directly as aggregates. Interactions between platelets are usually only measured indirectly after using an activation assay or by analysing surface proteins. Here, an imaging flow cytometer is used to measure and characterize platelet-aggregates directly in whole blood samples. Influences of sample ageing and in-vitro activation with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was investigated for blood anticoagulated with either EDTA, citrate, heparin or hirudin. Here, the number of platelet-aggregates and their composition was measured. Blood anticoagulated with hirudin and EDTA showed a stable number of aggregates within a timeframe of 240 minutes. While no aggregate concentration changes were observed in EDTA blood after activation with ADP, a clear increase in aggregates was se
en in hirudin, citrate and heparin blood. This effect is also observable when looking at the composition of the clots. However, after an initial spike a large number of aggregates disintegrate within a time frame of nine minutes. This effect is particularly prominent for large aggregates containing six or more platelets.
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