Lorrca for Research

The Lorrca is currently used in a wide range of research applications and appeared already in hundreds of scientific papers. The Lorrca is a functional Red Blood Cell analyzer capable of automated measurement of various red blood cell (RBC) phenomena by analysis of their rheological behaviour. The technique accurately measures RBC deformability as a function of shear stress, osmolality and oxygen pressure, which should be standard in the haematology laboratory.

The Lorrca provides:

One platform for several applications
High quality data
Flexibility

See below the Research Fields that are currently served by the Lorrca platform:

Deformability of different sub-populations of the RBC’s

When measuring the deformability, the obtained deformability curve shows the mean deformability of all RBC’s present in the sample. By adjusting the gain of the CCD camera (the electronic diaphragm), it is possible to detect the deformability of sub-populations of the RBC’s. This can be refined to the percentage of RBC’s with this decreased deformability, e.g. in sickle cell disease: the percentage of irreversibly sickled cells.

Enzyme deficiencies

Different pathways in which the RBC’s receive their metabolic needs are identified. The hereditary enzyme deficiencies of these pathways can cause non-spherocytic anaemia, of which glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the most common deficiency. In G6PD deficient individuals RBC deformability was found to be significantly impaired. Carriers have two RBC populations present in their blood: one with and one without G6PD activity, there is evidence that these RBC’s differ in their deformability, this can be further investigated.

Malaria infection

Regarding the instrument’s value in clinical pathology, it was demonstrated that in Malaria Tropicana the mean RBC deformability (mainly of non-parasitized RBC) is the most important predictor of, and most probably a contributor to, mortality. The Lorrca determined the threshold at which complete blood transfusion is the only lifesaving treatment possible. Above this threshold, oral medication is still an adequate treatment. Below this threshold, without intervention, the mortality-rate is up to a 100%.

Immunosuppressive therapy

Cyclosporin is an increasingly popular drug in immunosuppressive treatment, especially after organ transplantation. Unfortunately, serious adverse reactions, like nephrotoxicity, can occur which are possibly dose related. It is suggested that this slow, but continuously increasing, RBC rigidification plays a role in the early pathogenesis of the adverse nephrotoxic complications frequently associated with this immunosuppressive regimen. Therefore, regular screening on a loss of RBC deformability and eventually subsequent intervention by lowering the dose or by changing to another drug, could prevent irreversible nephrotic damage

Lorrca platform measuring a broad spectrum of RBC disorders

Application of Lorrca Measurements in Disease and Research Field