Decreased red cell filterability in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

The red cell filterability was decreased in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) when compared with healthy controls, 14.6 (12.2-16.3) units and 16.9 (15.6-17.4) units respectively, P50 (P25-P75), p less than 0.001). No significant correlations could be seen within the AMI group between the decrease in filterability and the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase or serum lactate dehydrogenase. The erythrocyte filterability, however, correlated to the serum concentrations of hepatic enzymes in AMI. The addition of sodium lactate in vitro in physiological concentrations (0.9-3.6 mM/l final concentration) lowered the erythrocyte filterability markedly to 2.7 (0-9.8) units in a dose-dependent manner, supporting the hypothesis that the decrease in erythrocyte filterability in AMI might be caused by an increase in the lactate concentration.