A simplified preparation of erythrocytes (rbc) for rbc pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase (P5N) is described and correlated with blood lead. Washed but unfiltered rbc are incubated with uridine monophosphate (UMP) and the amount of uridine liberated is measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). UMPase activity of unfiltered rbc of 20 normal subjects was 12.4 +/- 2.4 units, comparable to reported data obtained under varying conditions of preparation and P5N assay. In 20 lead-exposed adults and 20 controls, the regression coefficient for blood lead (PbB) predicted by rbc UMPase was In PbB = 4.77 - 0.22 UMPase; r2 = .61. If UMPase less than or equal to 7.6 units (mean, 2.0 SD) is considered abnormal, sensitivity for prediction of a blood lead greater than or equal to 40 micrograms/dL is 80%. Specificity, the percent of subjects with a UMPase greater than 7.6 units who had a blood lead less than 40 micrograms/dL, was 96%. Wider utilization of P5N, measured as UMPase, is proposed as a biologic correlate of blood lead.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Trends in childhood poisoning: a collaborative study 1970, 1975, 1980.

A collaborative study of 273 treated poisonings at three regional poison control centers showed a significant decrease in salicylism from 19% of all cases in 1970 to 9% in 1975 and 11% in 1980. A temporal correlation with safety packaging was also seen in the decrease in poisonings by household products from 36% and 42% of all treated poisonings in 1970 and 1975 to 21% in 1980. Poisonings by non-salicylate medications increased from 45% to 68% of treated ingestions. Therapeutic mishaps were relatively constant at 27%, 20% and 20% of all poisonings by medications. In children under one year of age 59% of medicinal poisonings were therapeutic mishaps, significantly higher than the 27% incidence for ages 1 to 5 years. Therapeutic mishaps and ingestions of household products resulted in significantly longer hospitalizations than accidental ingestion of medications. Additional data from two other regional centers permitted analysis of a total of 47 cases of treated salicylism. Therapeutic mishaps showed a possible upward trend from 27% of salicylate poisonings in 1970 to 36% in 1980. Almost all of the therapeutic mishaps with salicylates involved repeated overdose; 18 of the 19 mishaps due to other medications were allergic reactions.

Accidents↗