The influence of moderate-intensity physical effort on peripheral blood in adults with Down syndrome - a pilot study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of a six-week aerobic training on peripheral blood in adults with Down syndrome. Fifteen men with Down syndrome (average age 22.4 years ± 0.91) with moderate or severe intellectual disability took part in the study. Patients underwent a training program three times a week for six weeks. Venous blood samples of 10 ml were collected from every examined patient, 24 hours before and after the exercise. The blood samples were submitted to hematological examination (hematocrit, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, red blood cell (RBC) number, RBC indicators: mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)), reduced glutathione (GSH) level and number of macrocytes, polikilocytrometric examination of RBC and rheological blood examination (elongation index (EI), aggregation index (AI), syllectogram amplitude (AMP), aggregation half time (t1/2)) was made by LORCA. Amoderate six-week physical training performed on a cycloergometer resulted in a statistically significant decrease in the MCV value, hematocrit and plasma viscosity. The six-week cycloergometer training caused a statistically significant increase in the GSH level and erythrocyte pliability at a shear stress of 0.58 Pa.

Elongation index of erythrocytes, study of activity of chosen erythrocyte enzymes, and the levels of glutathione, malonyldialdehyde in polycythemia vera (PV).

The principal aim of the study was to investigate rheological properties of erythrocytes obtained from patients admitted to the clinic, and diagnosed with polycythemia vera. The polycythemia vera diagnosis was based on the WHO criteria for polycythemia vera. Using a laser rheometer SSD Rheometer-Rheodyn, the elongation index of erythrocytes was determined, indicating an increased rigidity of the erythrocytes in this disease compared with the erythrocytes in healthy people. In order to explain (albeit partially) the reason for reduced elasticity, the erythrocytes of patients with polycythemia were studied for the activity of enzymes - glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and acetylcholinesterase membrane enzyme, as well as the levels of glutathione and malonyldialdehyde. The elevated activities of these enzymes, the glutathione level, and elevated ‰ of reticulocytes, indicated an increased pool of juvenile erythrocyte forms; furthermore, the elevated value of malonyldialdehyde may suggest a lipid peroxidative damage in certain pool of the erythrocyte membrane in blood circulation.