A simple biomarker to exclude the presence of low grade inflammation in apparently healthy individuals.

Background: Atherosclerosis is accompanied by a low grade inflammatory response.

Hypothesis: To use erythrocyte aggregability as a biomarker to exclude the presence of low grade inflammatory response in apparently healthy individuals.

Methods: The adhesiveness/aggregation of red blood cells was quantitated by using a simple slide test and image analysis.

Results: We included 121 apparently healthy individuals and found a significant correlation between the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation and either the concentration of high sensitive CRP (r = 0.6, P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = 0.5, P < 0.0001) or fibrinogen (r = 0.5, P < 0.0001). By using certain cutoff points for the erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation test we could define individuals with a very low grade inflammatory response.

Conclusions: By using this inexpensive and rapid assessment, we could clearly discriminate between individuals with a very low inflammatory response and those with a more intense one. This biomarker should be further evaluated as a possible screening test for use in large populations of apparently healthy individuals in whom the detection of low grade inflammation might contribute to guiding appropriate lifestyle modifications and therapeutic interventions.