Pathologically stiff erythrocytes impede contraction of blood clots: Reply to comment

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Valerie Tutwiler, University of Pennsylvania; Rustem I Litvinov, University of Pennsylvania; Anna Protopopova, University of Pennsylvania; Chandrasekaran Nagaswami, University of Pennsylvania; Carlos Villa, University of Pennsylvania; Eric Woods, Max Planck Inst Eisenforsch GmbH Dusseldorf; Osheiza Abdulmalik, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia; Don L Siegel, University of Pennsylvania; Eric J Russell, University of Pennsylvania; Vladimir R Muzykantov, University of Pennsylvania; Wilbur Lam, Emory University; David Myers, Emory University; John W Weisel, University of Pennsylvania
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-11-01
• Publisher: WILEY
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jth.15511
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 11
• Start Page: 2894
• End Page: 2895
• Keywords: clot contraction; blood clotting; Peripheral Vascular Disease; thrombosis; Cardiovascular System & Cardiology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Science & Technology; sickle cell disease; Hematology; erythrocytes

Abstract

Dear Editor, We thank Ilich et al.1 for their comments on our paper2 and their accurate summary emphasizing the importance of red blood cell (RBC) properties in thrombosis associated with sickle cell disease (SCD). The authors refer to their publication on this topic3 and find that our results are consistent with their findings on the role of RBC rigidity in blood clot contraction and structure. The fact that related results were obtained in the two studies using different approaches is reassuring. Both research projects, which evolved over many years,4–9 showed the effect of stiffer RBCs from SCD patients on clot contraction and the resulting clot structure, showing lesser compression of RBCs, and the effects of chemical stiffening of RBCs. While these two publications mutually reinforce the findings, these complementary but independent studies take different approaches conceptually and methodologically.