abstract

• Aims: To associate hypercholesterolemia and obesity with red blood cell (RBC) morphology as assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in metabolically healthy and unhealthy adults with normal weight and with obesity. Methods: Cross-sectional study with four groups: metabolically healthy with normal-weight (MHNW, n = 12), metabolically unhealthy with normal-weight (MUNW, n = 5), metabolically healthy with obesity (MHO, n = 4), and metabolically unhealthy with obesity (MUO, n = 6). SEM was used to assess the RBC morphology (diameter, height, and axial ratio, n = 810 cells). SEM images were analyzed using Gwyddion software to measure the RBC morphology parameters. Results: SEM images showed altered RBC morphologies in the MUNW, MHO, and MUO groups. Diameter and axial ratio were statistically different after comparison of MHNW vs. MUNW ( 0.41 μm, 0.05 μm); MUNW vs. MHO (−0.70 μm, −0.05 μm); and MHO vs. MUO ( 0.38 μm, 0.04 μm), respectively. Hypercholesterolemia was associated with larger and more elongated RBC, while obesity with smaller RBC. Besides, age, HDL, ultra-processed food consumption were associated with altered RBC morphology. Conclusions: SEM is an excellent instrument to assess qualitatively and quantitatively RBC morphology. Hypercholesterolemia and obesity had a negative effect on the RBC morphology, but producing different effects on the RBC morphology (larger and smaller RBC, respectively). © 2020 Elsevier Ltd
• Aims: To associate hypercholesterolemia and obesity with red blood cell (RBC) morphology as assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in metabolically healthy and unhealthy adults with normal weight and with obesity. Methods: Cross-sectional study with four groups: metabolically healthy with normal-weight (MHNW, n = 12), metabolically unhealthy with normal-weight (MUNW, n = 5), metabolically healthy with obesity (MHO, n = 4), and metabolically unhealthy with obesity (MUO, n = 6). SEM was used to assess the RBC morphology (diameter, height, and axial ratio, n = 810 cells). SEM images were analyzed using Gwyddion software to measure the RBC morphology parameters. Results: SEM images showed altered RBC morphologies in the MUNW, MHO, and MUO groups. Diameter and axial ratio were statistically different after comparison of MHNW vs. MUNW (%2b0.41 μm, %2b0.05 μm); MUNW vs. MHO (−0.70 μm, −0.05 μm); and MHO vs. MUO (%2b0.38 μm, %2b0.04 μm), respectively. Hypercholesterolemia was associated with larger and more elongated RBC, while obesity with smaller RBC. Besides, age, HDL, ultra-processed food consumption were associated with altered RBC morphology. Conclusions: SEM is an excellent instrument to assess qualitatively and quantitatively RBC morphology. Hypercholesterolemia and obesity had a negative effect on the RBC morphology, but producing different effects on the RBC morphology (larger and smaller RBC, respectively). © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

authors

• Atzori Marco
• Camacho-López S.
• González Contreras Francisco Javier
• Loyola-Leyva A.
• Loyola-Rodríguez J.P.
• Terán Figueroa Yolanda

publication date

• 2020-01-01

funding provided via

• Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, CONACYT: 278291, CEMIE-Sol 105  Grant
• Universiteit Stellenbosch, US  Grant

published in

• Obesity Medicine  Journal

keywords

• Hypercholesterolemia; Metabolically unhealthy; Morphology; Red blood cells; Scanning electron microscope high density lipoprotein; adult; Article; body mass; body weight; cell size; controlled study; cross-sectional study; disease association; erythrocyte structure; female; food intake; groups by age; human; hypercholesterolemia; male; obesity; priority journal; scanning electron microscopy; software; ultra-processed food

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1016/j.obmed.2020.100292

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volume

• 20