Carbon Monoxide Production Associated with Ineffective Erythropoiesis

• Text
• PDF

Abstract

The rate of endogenous carbon monoxide production (˙Vco), determined by the closed rebreathing system technique, was elevated above the normal range in four of five patients studied with ineffective erythropoiesis (four patients with primary refractory anemia, one with thalassemia). The mean molar ratio of ˙Vco to ˙Vheme (rate of circulating heme catabolism, determined from 51Cr red cell survival curves) was 3.0 ± 0.6 (SE), indicating that most of the CO originated from sources other than circulating erythrocyte hemoglobin, in contrast to previous findings in patients with hemolytic anemia, where ˙Vco paralleled ˙Vheme closely.

Authors

Peter White, Ronald F. Coburn, William J. Williams, Manfred I. Goldwein, Mary L. Rother, Brenda C. Shafer