International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The goal of the present study is to evaluate the elastic properties (Young’s modulus) of erythrocytes from healthy donors and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), by using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Morphological and mechanical characteristics of red blood cells are studied in parallel by PeakForce QNM (Quantitative NanoMechanical Mapping) mode of AFM Dimensional ICON Bruker NanoScope V9 Instrument. Young’s modulus is calculated based on the mathematical model of Johnson-Kendall-Roberts by the application of the “two-point method”. AFM images of the erythrocytes from the healthy donors show that erythrocytes with a normal biconcave shape predominate. In patients with T2DM, the so-called erythrocyte polymorphism is studied. The Young’s modulus of erythrocytes, in patients with T2DM, significantly statistically increases by 27% (p≤0,001), compared to the data of healthy donors. The studied Young’s modulus by AFM can be used in clinical practice as a precise biomarker for the state of the red blood cells in T2DM.

The study aims to analyze the experimental haemorheological data with mathematical models and to analyze the interrelationship between the rheological parameters of the blood and blood rheology determinants. The study aims to develop this experimental basis of prognostic mathematical and hemorheological models for the interrelationship between the set of parameters. Two known models are used to describe the non-Newtonian rheological properties of blood – the shear stresses – shear rate dependences. The parameters of the simplest models – the power law and the Herschel-Bulkley law were used to analyse the differences between the hemorheological characteristics of blood from healthy individuals and a group of patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). The experimental data are statistically processed using the Mann-Whitney U-test for intergroup comparison of independent variables, as well as t-test. The Statistica program was used for statistical processing.