Blood viscosity in patients with diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

UNLABELLED The aim of the study was to evaluate blood viscosity as possible marker of disease progression in patients with newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS The viscosity of blood samples from 20 patients with newly diagnosed aggressive NHL (stage I, n=7; stage II, n=4; stage III, n=7; stage IV, n=2) was analyzed using Brookfield DV-II + (USA) machine. RESULTS Blood viscosity in NHL patients (median: 5.5+/-1.46 miliPascal) inversely correlated with lactatdehydrogenase (LDH) level, international prognostic index (IPI) score, and stage (p=0.02, r=-0.51; p=0.03, r=-0.63; and p=0.04, r=-0.45, respectively) and positively correlated with hemoglobin level (p=0.02, r=0.65)). CONCLUSION According to our data, blood viscosity may be considered as a follow up marker in NHL patients along with LDH level or sedimentation rate.