PECULIARITIES OF STRUCTURAL DISORDERS OF THE ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION ASSOCIATED WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES

Aim. To study certain characteristics of erythrocyte membranes in patients with hypertensive disease (HD) comorbid with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2. Material and Methods. Fifty patients with HD associated with type 2 diabetes were examined, which formed the study group, and 46 people with HD - the control group. Characteristics of erythrocyte membranes were studied by determining the rate of pyrene excimerization in the area of protein-lipid contacts and a lipid bilayer, and the content of cholesterol, total phospholipids and their ratio. Results and Discussion. In patients with HD combined with type 2 diabetes there was a statistically significant reduction in the rate of pyrene excimerization in the area of proteinlipid contacts in comparison with the group of patients with HD (0,64 [0,59; 0,7] and 0,93 [0,77; 1,04] - respectively), and a lipid bilayer - (0,69 [0,62; 0,78] and 0,95 [0,89; 1,0]). In the group of patients with combined HD and type 2 diabetes, cholesterol and phospholipids were significantly increased (p<0.001) in comparison with the group of patients with HD, by an average of 44% and 15% respectively, and the ratio of cholesterol/phospholipids increased by 26%. Positive correlation was found between increased erythrocyte membrane microviscosity and level of blood pressure, and the duration of HD and type 2 diabetes (r=0,3; p<0,05). Conclusions. Patients with HD combined with type 2 diabetes, are characterized by the disorganization of the erythrocyte membrane, in the form of the increased microviscosity, accompanied by the increase in the concentration of cholesterol and phospholipids. Also a direct relationship was found between microviscosity of the erythrocyte membrane and the stage of hypertension, as well as the duration of HD and DM type 2. Key words: hypertensive disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cholesterol, phospholipids, erythrocyte membrane