Characterisation of erythrocyte shapes and sizes by NMR diffusion-diffraction of water: correlations with electron micrographs

The utility of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diffusion-diffraction of water as a tool for characterising red cell shape was investigated. Experiments were conducted on various cell suspensions which contained different shapes/forms of erythrocytes prepared by manipulating the conditions of the suspension medium, such as osmolality, and altering metabolism to affect the adenosine triphosphate concentration. Abnormal red cells from patients with hereditary stomatocytosis and megaloblastic anemia were also studied in order to assess the practical application of this “new” technique. The results clearly show that NMR diffusion-diffraction is sensitive to very small changes in mean cell dimensions and that a “characteristic” q-space plot/profile can be ascribed to each erythrocyte form. It was also found that the homogeneity of the cell shape and/or size is an important factor that affects the intensity of the diffusion-diffraction peaks. This study demonstrates the potential of the NMR diffusion-diffraction technique as a diagnostic tool in hematology.