[Adhesion of diabetic or sickle cell erythrocyte populations to human endothelium in culture].

Erythrocyte adhesion to endothelium was measured using human endothelial cells in culture and a radiometric technique. Erythrocyte adhesion was found to be significantly increased in diabetes mellitus and sickle cell anemia. In both diseases the extent of adhesion was correlated with the clinical severity of the disease. Using 3H Leucine radio-labelled reticulocytes or red cells separated by density gradient according to their age it was possible to further investigate the red cell abnormality responsible for increased adhesion. A population of abnormal reticulocytes in sickle cell anemia exhibited a higher adhesion than the whole red cell population. Diabetic dense red cells (old red cells) appeared to be mostly responsible for the increase in erythrocyte adhesion to endothelium observed in diabetes mellitus.