364

Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 85 June 1992

Meeting report 7th European Conference on Clinical Haemorheology Keywords: haemorheology; rheology

The 3-day meeting consisted of eight symposia, seven free sessions and 70 poster presentations. The total number of papers was just over 200. Highlights of the meeting were plenary lectures by G D 0 Lowe of Glasgow on Haemorheology and Vascular Disease and J L Wautier of Paris on Blood Cell Vessel Wall Interactions. The symposia were as follows:

Haemorheological Aspects of Sickle Cell Disease In the symposium of the North American Society of Biorheology, scientific presentations on polymerization and kinetics and pathophysiology, volume regulation, RBC/endothelial interactions, microvascular flow behaviour with sickle cells and cellular and membrane rheology of sickle cells were all discussed. There is no doubt that the way forward in dealing with sickle cell disease will emerge from a better understanding of the rheology and especially the surface behaviour of sickle cells. White blood cells and ischaemia This meeting covered aspects of neutrophil accumulation and types of inflammation, leucocyte adhesion to microvessels, leucocyte shunting, changes in function and deformability after ischaemia and capillary occlusions by leucocytes in diabetic retinopathy. This is another important area where the realization that leucocytes may play a key behaviour in inflammatory and obstructive disorders of blood vessels is becoming apparent and provable.

Haemorheological effects of contrast media The effects of contrast media on blood rheology, the relevance ofthese effects on deformability of red cells, comparisons of non-ionic and ionic effects on viscosity and contrast media on red cell aggregates, and whether these effects are clinically meaningful or not, were covered in this symposium.

Circulatory effects of perfluoral chemical blood substitutes This covered the chemistry of the blood substitutes themselves, their role in myocardial reperfusion injury, their haemorheological effects, their role in bubble resorbtion, and their clinical importance. Haemorheology and exercise The haematological adaptations to exercise, hydration and dehydration in exercise, the importance of exercise for peripheral vascular disease, local changes and Ca++ content changes and blood doping were all discussed in this symposium.

Comparative haemorheology Patterns of variation in vertebrate haematology, comparison of the viscometric properties of blood from a wide range of mammals, red cell deformability in different vertebrates, haemorheology ofseal blood, the dog as a haemorheological model, and lessons of comparing human and fish red blood cells were discussed.

Aspects and regulation of blood cel vessel wall interactions This Symposium held by the French Society of Clinical Haemorheology covered topics such as leucocyte endothelium interactions, interactions between platelets, leucocytes and the vessel wall, tumour necrosis factor effects in the microcirculation, PAF acether induced platelet vessel wall interactions, heparins and human neutrophil function, cytokine effects, pharmacological intervention on leucocyte endothelium interactions, and leucocyte behaviour during surgery and its modification by aprotinin.

Report of joint meeting of Forum on Clinical

Haemorheology and the

University of Southampton, 16-19 July 1991

Epidemiology of blood rheology Major topics such as fibrinogen as a risk factor for ischaemic heart disease; the results of the WHO MONICA study on the epidemiology of blood cell values and fibrinogen; plasma viscosity; fibrinogen and smoking in the Caerphilly and Speedwell studies; the association of plasma 'viscosity and lipids - the result of the MONICA project in Augsberg; the Aachen study on viscosity and plasma proteins; and a free discussion on epidemiology and haemorheology future directions took place. Two major awards were made during the Conference. The first, the Fahraeus Medal, was awarded to Professor John Stuart of Birmingham for his contributions to the field of clinical haemorheology. The award was presented by Professor Sandro Forconi of Italy, acting for the previous recipient, Prof Tullio di Perri. This award is made by election and consists of a medal and a purse. The Fahraeus Lecture was given by Professor Stuart and will be published in Clinical Haemorheology. The second award was the A L Copley Young Investigator Award, made to Richard Black of the Institute of Medical and Dental Bioengineering at the University of Liverpool. This award is based on the quality of the paper offered in this competition, as well as the background ofthe individual. Dr Black's paper on 'The Effect of Wall Compliance and Geometry on Flow Disturbances in Arterial Prostheses', combined with his background in this field, adjudged him the winner of this award. He was closely followed by the runners-up, Brian"Cooke of Birmingham and Shelley Ann Evans of.Cardiff. There were seven free sessions totalling just over 100 presentations. The sessions were roughly divided into those on: (1) erythrocyte aggregation and filterability; (2) obstetrics and neonatology; (3) leucocytes and cardiac disease; (4) cerebrovascular disease; (5) drugs and haemorheology; (6) diabetes, lipoproteins and methodology and instrumentation; and (7) miscellaneous;n addition, two poster sessions encompassed over 70 papers with a variety of rheologically-related topics.

Stuart Roath Forum on Clinical Haemorheology 0141-076 8/92

The meeting received sponsorship from Bayer (UK), Hoechst AG (Europe) and Daiichi International (UK). The Fahraeus Medal was sponsored by Hoechst AG (Europe) and the A L Copley Young Investigator Award was sponsored by CarriMed, Dorking (UK).

060364-01/$02.00/0 @1992 The Royal Society of Medicine

7th European Conference on Clinical Haemorheology.

364 Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Volume 85 June 1992 Meeting report 7th European Conference on Clinical Haemorheology Keywords: haemorhe...
229KB Sizes 0 Downloads 0 Views