Factors influencing blood viscosity: adult and newborn blood analysis.

Our finding of a decrease in blood viscosity in newborn infants compared with adults leads to analysis of this change by measuring blood viscosity, plasma fibrinogen concentration, plasma viscosity and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 24 adults and 16 newborn infants. Plasma proteins in newborn infants are synthesized to a lesser extent than in adults, therefore plasma fibrinogen concentration of newborn infants is less than that of adults. This causes decreased blood viscosity in newborn infants compared with adults. Secondly plasma viscosity of newborn infants is also less than that of adults. In the same situation this causes a decrease in blood viscosity in newborn. Thirdly. MCV of newborn infants is greater than that of adults because of young red cells. There is a negative correlation between blood viscosity and MCV. High MCV in newborns leads to low blood viscosity in newborn infants, compared with adults.

Role of lipid peroxidation, trace elements and anti-oxidant enzymes in chronic renal disease patients.

Plasma Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu) and Aluminium (Al) levels, red blood cell vitamin E and antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase activity were studied in 54 patients with renal diseases of different levels of kidney dysfunction. Group I (serum creatinine < 2 mg/dl), Group II (serum creatinine 2-4 mg/dl), Group III (serum creatinine 4.1-8 mg/dl), Group IV (serum creatinine 8.1-12 mg/dl) Group V (serum creatinine > 12 mg/dl); thirty two healthy subjects are controls. Plasma Zn (ug/L) and red blood cell vitamin E (ug/ml PRC) were decreased more significantly than controls (1348.59 +/- 43.72 vs 1318.89 +/- 45.62, and 3.38 +/- 0.45 vs 2.23 +/- 0.52) while plasma Selenium and Copper are within normal ranges. Plasma GSH-PX and catalase activity (IU/ml PRC) were also decreased (28.26 +/- 9.01 vs 20.48 +/- 6.79 and 7.54 +/- 1.91 vs 6.52 +/- 2.31) more significantly than controls. Lipid peroxidation products, plasma (umol/L) and urine malonaldehyde (MDA, umol/Ccr) were elevated (7.29 +/- 3.39 vs 92.94 +/- 61.66, and 32.08 +/- 24.60 vs 246.14 +/- 325.66) significantly (p < 0.0001). The lipid peroxidation abnormalities were seen in patients with normal renal function, which supports the role of oxidative stress early in the course of renal disease. Urine ammonia per GFR was also increased as well as urine B2m and NAG. There was no correlation between lipid peroxidation product (MDA) and any of the antioxidant enzymes, vitamin E, urine NH3, B2m, protein or NAG except urine ammonia and MDA per nephron which correlate with severity of kidney dysfunction which confirmed the role of complex processes in the progression of chronic renal failure. The early intervention to decrease oxygen consumption either by dietary protein restriction antioxidants such as vitamin E supplement or calcium channels blockers may be of value in preserving renal function in the setting of chronic renal failure.

Iron excretion in thalassemia children treated with deferoxamin methansulfonat: intravenous drip compared to the subcutaneous routes.

The iron excretion in the three beta-Thal/Hb E patients were determined comparing the effect of DF given by subcutaneous push, subcutaneous drip and intravenous drip. The subcutaneous drip or intravenous drip increased urine iron excretion by 5.6-11.2 times whereas the subcutaneous push, 3.5-5.3 times only. It is recommended that for countries where the infusion machine is very expensive the DF should be given by intravenous drip or the modified, simple and inexpensive equipment for subcutaneous drip.

Studies on the glomerular filtration rate and extracellular fluid volume in rhesus monkeys infected with Plasmodium knowlesi.

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the extracellular fluid volume (ECV) were determined in 5 rhesus monkeys infected with P. knowlesi in comparison with 6 control monkeys by using 51Cr-EDTA. As the disappearance curve of the radioactivity showed a close fit to a double exponential equation, the data was therefore analysed by an open 2-compartment system. Results in the present study showed that the GFR was significantly reduced in the infected group. Both V1 and V2 were also slightly but not significantly decreased which resulted in the lower ECV in monkeys infected with P. knowlesi. As the GFR was reduced much more than ECV, therefore the mean transit time of 51Cr-EDTA in the infected group was longer than that of the normal group. All other intercompartment clearance and fractional transfer rate constants were also found to be lower in the infected group. These findings indicated that there was a delay in the distribution of 51Cr-EDTA between these 2 compartments in monkeys infected with P. knowlesi malaria.

Evidence of trapped red cells in the brain of rhesus monkey infected with Plasmodium knowlesi.

59Fe-labelled normal red cells and 51Cr-labelled P. knowlesi infected red cells were used as tracers for a study on the trapped red cells in the brain of rhesus monkeys infected with P. knowlesi. After instantaneous injection into a common carotid artery, blood was sampled from both of the internal jugular veins at various intervals. Results in 6 experiments on 3 infected monkeys showed that about 17% of infected red cells given was trapped in the capillaries of the brain of the infected monkeys. The remainder of the infected red cells travelled on the same flow rate as the normal red cells. As the volume for the flow of the former was less than that of the latter, the mean transit time of the infected red cells (-ty) was therefore shorter than that of the normal red cells (-th). The mean difference in volume was estimated to be 3.4% in the present study. These findings indicated that some of the P. knowlesi infected red cells were trapped in capillaries of the brains of monkeys infected with P. knowlesi.

Red cell acetylcholinesterase activity in Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Red cell ACHE activity was determined in 19 patients with P. falciparum malaria, 13 patients during convalescence as well as in 6 normal subjects. There was no significant difference between the mean values of ACHE in red cells of these 3 groups. After separation these blood samples into 2 portions by centrifugation in 5% Ficoll solution, the parasitized red cells in the lower portion which are mostly ring forms contained the same amount of ACHE activity as those of the normal subjects and the non-parasitized red cells. However, the parasitized red cells in the upper portion which contained predominantly mature asexual forms revealed a significantly higher ACHE activity than those of the normal red cells. There was also a reverse relationship between red cell ACHE activity and the parasitaemia from this portion of blood sample. These findings indicated that although malarial parasite invaded and caused the red cell membrane damage, it did not inactivate ACHE. It may be concluded that ACHE was not responsible for the anaemia and excessive erythrocyte destruction in patients with P. falciparum malaria.

Serum vitamin B12 and folate levels, vitamin B12 and folic acid binding proteins in patients with primary carcinoma of the liver.

Serum vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin B12 and folic acid binding protein concentration were determined in 31 patients with primary carcinoma of the liver. Serum vitamin B12 level was found to be higher in 16 of 31 (52%) patients with carcinoma of the liver and the mean value was also significantly higher than that of the control group. There was no significant difference between the mean values of serum UBBC of these 2 groups. TCI and TCIII increased while TCII decreased considerably in the patient group. Serum folate level in patients with primary carcinoma of the liver was significantly lower than that of the control group. About 39% of these patients had serum folate level lower than the lowest value of the control group. Serum FABP in the former group was also significantly higher than that of the latter group.