The role of blood rheology in sickle cell disease

Studies performed in the last decades have highlighted the need to better understand the contribution of the endothelium, vascular function, oxidative stress, inflammation, coagulation, hemolysis and vascular adhesion mechanisms to the pathophysiology of acute vaso-occlusive like events and chronic organ damages in sickle cell disease (SCD). Although SCD is a hemorheological disease, a few works focused on the contribution of blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, red blood cell deformability and aggregation in the pathophysiology of SCD. After a brief description of basic hemorheology, the present review focuses on the role of the hemorheological abnormalities in the causation of several SCD complications, mainly in sickle cell anemia and hemoglobin (Hb) SC disease. Several genetic and cellular modulators of blood rheology in SCD are discussed, as well as unresolved questions and perspectives.