RBC aggregation in diabetic and pre-eclamptic pregnancy

Although plasma fibrinogen levels are known to increase during pregnancy, only limited hemorheological information regarding this condition appears to exist in the literature. The present study was thus designed to measure specific rheologic parameters (i.e., the extent and the rate of RBC aggregation, plasma viscosity, plasma fibrinogen concentration) in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Our results indicate: 1) increased RBC aggregation and plasma fibrinogen levels in pregnancy versus non-pregnant controls; 2) when compared to normal pregnancy, late diabetic pregnancy was associated with an increased rate of RBC aggregation and pre-delivery diabetic pregnancy with both an increased rate and extent of erythrocyte aggregation; 3) pre-eclamptic pregnancy differed from normal pregnancy only by having a lower plasma viscosity. All groups of pregnant women had increased levels of high molecular weight fibrinogen-fibrin complexes (HMWFC), with the maximum increase noted in the late pregnancy diabetic population; the influence of HMWFC on RBC aggregation is discussed.