THE ROLE OF LEUKOCYTES IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF VIBRATION-INDUCED WHITEFINGER

Vibration white finger (VWF) is an occupational disorder associated wi th long-term exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. The condition exh ibits features of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon. The etiology is unkn own. The aim of this study was to examine the role of leukocyte rheolo gy in the pathogenesis of VWF. Fifty-two male subjects divided into tw o groups were exposed to controlled acute hand-transmitted vibration. One group consisted of 29 workers who have all had occupational exposu re to handheld vibration and all suffered from VWF (mean age 46.9 year s, range 22-66). The second group consisted of 23 controls. Venous blo od was analyzed from the dorsum of the hand before and after vibration to determine granulocyte deformability, granulocyte morphology, and w hite blood cell count with differential. There was a subpopulation of hard and poorly deformable granulocytes in the VWF group when compared with controls (p < 0.05). Acute hand-transmitted vibration had no in vitro effect on leukocyte rheology in either group. Leukocyte rheology may play a role in the pathogenesis of microvascular disease and tiss ue ischemia in VWF, although whether this is a cause or an effect of t he disorder is not clear.