Lab Med Online.  2021 Jul;11(3):162-170. 10.47429/lmo.2021.11.3.162.

Establishing Reference Intervals of Whole Blood Viscosity in a Korean Population Using a Cone-Plate Viscometer

• Park M
• Kim H
• Moon HW
• Hur M
• Yun YM

• KMID: 2526061
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.47429/lmo.2021.11.3.162

Abstract

Background
Whole blood viscosity (WBV) is emerging as a biomarker to predict cardio-cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. This study aimed to establish reference intervals (RIs) of WBV using a cone-plate viscometer, in a Korean population.
Methods
From September to October 2017, the WBV levels of 286 healthy individuals (160 men and 126 women) were assayed using a ZL6000P blood viscosity analyzer (Beijing ZONCI Technology Development Co., China). The RIs of WBV were defined at 5 and 300 s^-1 using a nonparametric percentile method, according to the CLSI EP28-A3 guideline.
Results
At 5 s^-1 , the median WBV (interquartile range, IQR) was 9.34 (8.54-10.29) millipascal-second (mPa·s) in the total population, 10.12 (9.33-10.54) mPa·s in men, and 8.53 (7.95-9.08) mPa·s in women. At 300 s^-1 , the median WBV (IQR) was 3.72 (3.45-4.00) mPa·s in the total population, 3.94 (3.74-4.10) mPa·s in men, and 3.42 (3.23-3.62) mPa·s in women. The WBV levels at 5 and 300 s^-1 were significantly higher in men than in women (P < 0.001). The 97.5th percentile upper reference limit (URL) for WBV at 5 s^-1 was 11.32 mPa·s in the total population, 12.08 mPa·s in men, and 10.38 mPa·s in women. The 97.5th percentile URL for WBV at 300 s^-1 was 4.47 mPa·s in the total population, 4.83 mPa·s in men, and 4.22 mPa·s in women.
Conclusions
This is the first study on the RIs of WBV using a cone-plate viscometer (ZL6000P blood viscosity analyzer) in Korea. We suggest that gender-specific RIs should be used for the Korean population.

Keyword

Reference interval; Whole blood viscosity; Cone-plate viscometer; Korean; ZL6000P blood viscosity analyzer

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Distribution curves of WBV of males and females at shear rates 5 s-1 and 300 s-1. The thick dotted vertical lines indicate the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile reference limits. Each number above the black bar indicates the number of males (or females) out of the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile reference limits. (A) Distribution of WBV of males at shear rate 5 s-1. (B) Distribution of WBV of males at shear rate 300 s-1. (C) Distribution of WBV of females at shear rate 5 s-1. (D) Distribution of WBV in females at shear rate 300 s-1. Abbreviations: WBV, whole blood viscosity; IQR, interquartile range; mPa · s, millipascal-second; CI, confidence interval.

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