Tag: nondiscocytes

Red cell shape changes following trigger finger fatigue in subjects with chronic tiredness and healthy controls

Abstract:

AIMS: To investigate the possibility of a correlation between the percentage of nondiscocytic erythrocytes and muscle fatiguability in subjects with the symptom of chronic tiredness.

METHODS: Sixty nine volunteers suffering from persisting or intermittent tiredness and 72 healthy controls provided 3-drop samples of venous blood for red cell shape analysis before and after inducing fatigue in the trigger finger muscles by repeatedly pulling the trigger of an antique revolver. Elapsed time and the number of pulls were recorded. A work index was calculated from the number of trigger pulls divided by the time in seconds then multiplied by the number of trigger pulls.

RESULTS: Subjects with tiredness had fewer discoid cells (males 62.5% vs 69.2%, p = 0.029; females 65.8% vs 71.8%, p = 0.002) than controls. They also had fewer trigger pulls (males 62.3 vs 84.0, p = 0.003; females 29.5 vs 36.8, p = 0.042) and lower “work indices” (males 75.6 vs 104.7, p = 0.001; females 26.1 vs 39.6, p = 0.001) than controls at the first trigger pulling. After 5 minutes rest the number of trigger pulls for males was fewer than the controls (56.0 vs 64.2) but the difference was not significant, but the female values (24.3 vs 33.2) were significantly different (p = 0.008). Work indices for both sexes were significantly different from controls (males p = 0.020, females p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: The association of increased nondiscocytes and impaired muscle function could indicate a cause and effect relationship. This would be in agreement with the physiological concept of fatigue as a consequence of inadequate oxygen delivery.

 

Source: Simpson LO, Murdoch JC, Herbison GP. Red cell shape changes following trigger finger fatigue in subjects with chronic tiredness and healthy controls. N Z Med J. 1993 Mar 24;106(952):104-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8474717

 

Myalgic encephalomyelitis

Comment on: Myalgic encephalomyelitis. [J R Soc Med. 1991]

 

The exchange of views between Drs Wessely and Wilson in the correspondence columns of the March issue of the Journal (March 1991 JRSM, p 182) highlights the divergence of opinion concerning the nature of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Recognition of ME as a significant health problem in New Zealand dates from an outbreak of ‘Tapanui ‘flu’ in a small country town in 1983. As it seemed possible that the wide range of symptoms could be indicative of impaired capillary blood flow, we studied the filtrability of blood samples from members of ME support groups. We found that subjects who were acutely unwell had prolonged blood filtration times which returned towards normal in the chronic state.

More recently it has been shown that ME symptoms are associated with increased percentages of nondiscocytic erythrocytes and the percentage of such cells showed an inverse correlation with wellbeing. The significance of altered red cell shape in the pathogenesis of ME has been discussed and it has been found that an injection of vitamin B12 improved wellbeing within 24 h. The loss of symptoms was associated with reduced percentages of nondiscocytes in about 50% of subjects. Those who failed to perceive a beneficial response from the B12 showed no change in red cell shape. Further studies at varying degrees of completion confirm and extend the published observations.

You can read the rest of this comment here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295578/pdf/jrsocmed00119-0075a.pdf

 

Source: Simpson LO. Myalgic encephalomyelitis. J R Soc Med. 1991 Oct;84(10):633. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295578/