Leukocyte flow properties, polymorphonuclear membrane fluidity and cytosolic Ca2+ content in subjects with vascular atherosclerotic disease.

In a group of subjects with monovascular atherosclerotic disease (MVAD) and in a group of subjects with polyvascular atherosclerotic disease (PVAD) we evaluated white blood cell (WBC) filtration (unfractionated, mononuclear -MN-, polymorphonuclear -PMN- cells), using the St. George Filtrometer and considering respectively the initial relative flow rate (IRFR) and the clogging rate (CR), the polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity, employing the fluorescent probe 1.4-(trimethylamino)-phenyl-4-phenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH) and calculating the fluorescence polarization degree, and the polymorphonuclear leukocyte cytosolic Ca2+ content, adopting the fluorescent probe Fura 2-AM. Only the filtration parameters (IRFR, CR) of unfractionated WBCs discriminate normals from MVAD and PVAD subjects, and also monovascular and polyvascular VAD subjects between them. The filtration parameters of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes do not distinguish normals from MVAD and PVAD subjects. PMN membrane fluidity does not differentiate normals from MVAD and PVAD subjects, while PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content discriminates normals from MVAD and PVAD subjects, but does not distinguish the two groups of VAD subjects. In conclusion, in subjects with vascular atherosclerotic disease we noted an alteration of the unfractionated leukocyte flow properties, more evident in PVAD subjects, and an increase of the PMN cytosolic Ca2+ content.