Blood rheology and red cell metabolism in the menstrual cycle in normal and heterozygous thalassemic women

Four normal women and two heterozygous β-thalassemic women were examined throughout one or more menstrual cycles for variations in several rheological parameters and red cell metabolism during the menstrual, follicular and luteal phases. Cyclic variations were found in the physical and chemical properties of the red cells (including mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, intracellular contents of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and adenosine triphosphate, and erythrocyte deformability). These physiological changes during the menstrual cycle are exaggerated in heterozygous B-thalassemic women.