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PubMed1995

Elevated blood pressure during the first two hours of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: a study comparing consecutive twenty-four-hour monitoring periods.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is being used increasingly in clinical practice and hypertension research. We have noted elevated blood pressure during the initial hours of monitoring. The objective of the present study was to examine the consistency, magnitude and duration of this elevation, and to determine whether this effect causes significant differences in the mean ambulatory blood pressure monitoring values comparing the first (day 1) and second (day 2) consecutive 24-h periods of monitoring. METHODS: Fifty patients who were hypertensive based on repeated clinic readings were studied prospectively. Each underwent continuous 48-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring with a SpaceLabs 90207 monitor. The device recorded blood pressure at 15-min intervals during the daytime (0600-2159 h) and at 30-min intervals at night-time (2200-0559 h). From these readings hourly means were calculated. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed to compare the hourly means of days 1 and 2. RESULTS: Repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that a significant difference existed for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure between day 1 and day 2. Paired Student's t-test revealed that this difference occurred during the first 2 h of monitoring. The daytime blood pressure was higher on day 1 as a result of the initial elevation of blood pressure at the onset of monitoring. The initial elevation of blood pressure was present both in white-coat hypertensives and in essential hypertensives. CONCLUSION: The first 2 h of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring are associated with elevated blood pressure both in white-coat hypertensives and in essential hypertensives. This has a minor effect on mean daytime and 24-h ambulatory blood pressures. We propose that improved ambulatory blood pressure monitoring recordings would be obtained in clinical practice, and more particularly in research applications, if 26-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was carried out, excluding the first 2 h from the summary analyses.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of blood lead on blood pressure in children.

The effect of elevated blood lead levels on the blood pressure of children has not been clearly described. In order to define this association better, we conducted a cross-sectional study, evaluating the association between lead and high blood pressure. Using a Dinamap monitor to measure blood pressures, blood pressures and blood lead levels were measured in 149 children (ages 1-10 years) receiving medical care at the General Medical and Lead Poisoning Clinics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Blood lead levels ranged from 7 to 70 mg/dL with a mean of 27 mg/dL. The mean systolic blood pressure was 108 mmHg and the mean diastolic reading was 63 mmHg. Higher systolic blood pressure was significantly correlated with increased weight, age, and height. Diastolic pressure was significantly associated with weight and height. There was a small, negative correlation between blood lead levels and systolic blood pressure, and a positive but insignificant correlation between lead levels and diastolic blood pressure. Our study population had both higher mean lead levels and a higher prevalence of hypertension than is true of the U.S. population as a whole. We concluded that elevated blood lead levels are not associated with elevated blood pressure in children.

Blood Pressure↗

PubMed2001

Retinal blood flow and systemic blood pressure in healthy young subjects.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between systemic blood pressure and retinal blood flow in healthy young subjects. METHODS: Three independent study cohorts were included. A cross-sectional study was performed in 420 young male subjects with systolic blood pressure < 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <100 mmHg. Retinal white blood cell flux (n=210) and blood velocity in the central retinal artery (n=210) were measured. In addition, a longitudinal study was performed in 40 young male subjects in whom retinal and systemic haemodynamic parameters were measured thrice within 6 weeks. Retinal white blood cell flux was measured with the blue-field entoptic technique. Blood flow velocity in the central retinal artery was measured by means of colour Doppler imaging. RESULTS: Retinal white blood cell flux (r=0.262; P<0.001) and mean flow velocity in the central retinal artery (r=0.174, P=0.010) were significantly associated with mean arterial pressure in the cross-sectional study. In the longitudinal study retinal white blood cell flux and mean flow velocity in the central retinal artery were also correlated with systemic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate a slight but significant increase in retinal blood flow with blood pressure. Whether this is of clinical relevance in eye diseases with altered retinal perfusion, such as diabetic retinopathy, remains to be established.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Lower homologous blood requirement in autologous blood donors after treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin.

The risk of blood-borne diseases has substantially increased the use of autologous blood transfusion. Many autologous donors, however, still need homologous transfusions. To find out whether recombinant erythropoietin (rhEPO) reduces requirements for homologous blood transfusion, we carried out a randomised, controlled trial, in which patients were stratified according to blood volume. We studied 95 autologous blood donors undergoing elective hip surgery. 50 patients were randomly assigned 500 U/kg rhEPO subcutaneously twice a week for 3 weeks, and 45 patients received no treatment (control group). The patients each donated two units of blood before surgery. Only 5 (10%) rhEPO-treated patients received homologous transfusions compared with 16 (36%) controls (p < 0.01). rhEPO was most useful in patients with a blood volume below 4 L and an estimated blood loss below 2 L or with a blood volume of 4-5 L and blood loss of 1-2 L. Continued administration of rhEPO caused no further increase in reticulocyte counts after the fourth injection, which was accompanied by a pronounced depletion of storage iron. rhEPO treatment had no effect on renal function, platelet count, or blood pressure. Subcutaneous rhEPO is an effective and safe way to reduce exposure to homologous blood in autologous donors. Its use can be restricted to a subpopulation of autologous blood donors, which improves the cost-effectiveness of this expensive approach.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

[The Dresden Cord Blood Bank. Experiences of the Cord Blood Bank in Dresden, promoted by the German bone Marrow Donor Registry].

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is the treatment of choice for a number of malignant hematological diseases, marrow failure syndromes and severe congenital immunodeficiency states. As a new, valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells, cord blood has become increasingly attractive to the medical community. More than 1500 related and unrelated cord blood transplantations have already been performed worldwide. Cord blood can be a particularly good alternative source of stem cells for pediatric patients, if no HLA-identical donor can be found. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In August 1997 the Cord Blood Bank at the University Hospital of Dresden initiated the collection, processing and cryopreservation of placental blood. This Cord Blood bank is promoted by the German bone marrow donor registry DKMS in Tübingen/Germany collaborating with 8 gynecological clinics in Dresden, Bautzen and Erlabrunn. Before cryopreservation, volume reduction of cord blood units is routinely performed by centrifugation and by separation of the buffy coat. RESULTS: As of March 2000, more than 2200 cord blood units have been collected. 60% of the samples had to be discarded because of insufficient quality (low volume and/or cell count, bacterial contamination, positive infectious disease markers). However, more than 800 cord blood units met all quality control criteria and were cryopreserved. CONCLUSION: These data from the Cord Blood Bank at the University Hospital of Dresden are comparable with results from other cord blood banks. Efforts directed toward the cryopreservation and banking of increased numbers of cord blood units are being continued worldwide and should be supported by the general public.

Blood Banks↗

PubMed1982

Relationship between peripheral blood flow and blood temperatures in lambs during hypoxemia and hemorrhage.

The relationships between the peripheral blood flow and arterial and venous blood temperatures were examined in 5 lambs (mean weight 10.5 kg, 4-12 weeks old) during hypoxemia and hemorrhage. Blood flow to one hind limb was measured continuously with an electromagnetic flow transducer around the femoral artery. Aortic and venous blood temperatures were monitored by means of thermistor catheters in the descending aorta and iliac vein. The intravascular catheters and flow transducer were implanted chronically and all studies were performed in conscious lambs, resting quietly. Skin temperatures were recorded at the hip and at the foot. The total heat in the hind limb (Htot), the net heat transported by circulating blood (Hbl), and the metabolic heat produced in the hind limb were calculated. The arterial and venous blood temperature were related to peripheral blood flow. When the flow was constant over a control period, blood temperatures remained constant. Hypoxemia, produced by administering a low oxygen gas mixture to the lamb, did not alter femoral blood flow, nor did it affect vascular temperatures. During hemorrhage, femoral blood flow fell, arterial temperature rose by 0.46 degrees C and venous temperature by 0.85 degrees C; arteriovenous temperature difference decreased from 0.85 to 0.44 degrees C. There was an inverse relationship between femoral blood flow and venous temperature in each individual lamb subjected to hemorrhage, with a correlation of 0.91. For each 10-ml/min decrease in peripheral blood flow the venous temperature rose an average of 0.33 degrees C. Changes in peripheral blood flow were immediately reflected by changes in the venous temperature.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Pancreatic islet blood perfusion in the nonobese diabetic mouse: diabetes-prone female mice exhibit a higher blood flow compared with male mice in the prediabetic phase.

The present study tested the hypothesis that changes in pancreatic islet blood flow correlate with the difference in diabetes incidence between male and female nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice. The blood flows were determined by a microsphere technique. In animals aged 10 and 14 weeks, the islet blood perfusion was 3-fold higher in female NOD mice compared with that in either age-matched male NOD mice or age- and sex-matched control ICR mice. At 5 weeks of age islet blood flow was similar in all groups. No differences between male and female NOD mice in whole pancreatic, duodenal, ileal, or colonic blood flows were observed at any time point. Administration of a bolus dose of aminoguanidine (a blocker of inducible nitric oxide synthase) to 10-week-old animals selectively and markedly decreased islet blood flow in female NOD mice, whereas islet blood flow in ICR mice and male NOD mice remained unaffected. Aminoguanidine did not affect mean arterial blood pressure or whole pancreatic blood flow in any of the groups. Injection of N(G)-methyl-L-arginine, an unspecific inhibitor of both constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthase, markedly decreased whole pancreatic and islet blood flow to the same level in both male and female NOD mice. These combined findings suggest that diabetes-prone female NOD mice have an increased islet blood flow, which is mediated by an excessive production of nitric oxide formed by inducible nitric oxide synthase. The islet blood hyperperfusion may augment homing to the pancreatic islets of inflammatory cells and soluble factors involved in beta-cell destruction during the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in this animal model. The presently observed gender difference in the blood flow response could, therefore, at least partially explain why female NOD mice are more prone to develop hyperglycemia than the males.

Aging↗

PubMed2002

Legal, financial, and public health consequences of HIV contamination of blood and blood products in the 1980s and 1990s.

Ensuring the safety of the blood supply connects politics and science. The business and service sectors share responsibility for the collection and processing of blood donations, and government agencies perform regulatory and surveillance roles. The onset of the AIDS epidemic has challenged the interface among these systems, leading to widespread fears about compromised safety of the blood supply. Because of public concern about blood-supply decisions made in the 1980s, developed countries in the 1990s established reimbursement programs for persons with transfusion-acquired viral infections from blood or blood products, adopted diagnostic tests and procedures that improved the safety of the blood supply, and held criminal judicial investigations of government officials and industry leaders accused of delaying implementation of potential blood-safety measures. In contrast, developing countries continue to struggle with blood-supply safety issues. This paper summarizes the current status of these safety concerns in developed countries, where viral transmission from contaminated blood or blood products is extremely rare, and in developing countries, where up to 10% of HIV infections result from transfusion of blood or blood products.

Blood Donors↗

PubMed1996

Medicare and Medicaid programs; hospital standard for potentially HIV infectious blood and blood products--HCFA. Final rule.

This final rule requires hospitals participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to take appropriate action when the hospitals learn that they have received whole blood, blood components (including recovered plasma), source plasma, and source leukocytes (hereafter referred to as blood or blood products) that are at increased risk of transmitting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. If the hospital learns that it has received blood or blood products collected from a donor recently exposed to HIV, before the donor has a sufficient level of antibody to be detected by the screening test for antibody to HIV, the hospital must quarantine any blood or blood products remaining in inventory pending confirmation testing. If the presence of HIV is confirmed by more specific testing, the hospital must notify patients who received the blood or blood product. This final rule is intended to ensure that proper health and safety steps are taken to minimize further spread of HIV infection. A final rule published elsewhere in this Federal Register by the Food and Drug Administration applies the same requirements to entities furnishing transfusion services that do not participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs and clarifies the responsibilities of blood establishments to identify and notify the transfusion service that received affected blood and blood products.

Blood Component Transfusion↗

PubMed1999

Association analysis of 24-h blood pressure records with I/D ACE gene polymorphism and ABO blood group system.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between 24-h blood pressure parameters, insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin I converting enzyme gene and the ABO blood group system in a sample of the general Czech population. Fourteen parameters describing the 24-h blood pressure readings were obtained by analyzing blood pressure records in 243 volunteers, 119 men and 124 women. These parameters were adjusted for sex and body mass index (BMI) by means of multiple regression test. All subjects were genotyped for the insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin I converting enzyme (I/D ACE) gene and routinely examined for the blood group phenotype in the ABO system. An association was found between the interaction of I/D ACE gene polymorphism and ABO blood group system on the one hand and mean values of systolic (p=0.016) or mean arterial (p=0.027) blood pressures and the phase shift of 24-h BP rhythm (p=0.036) on the other hand. Among three I/D ACE variants the DD genotype was associated with the highest values of mean blood pressure in blood group A and AB carriers. The same genotype was associated with the lowest blood pressures in blood group B and O carriers. In subjects with the DD genotype, the earlier daily position of the maximum of 24-h BP rhythm was found in blood group B, AB and O carriers. On the contrary, blood group A was associated with the latest position of maximum of the 24-h BP rhythm in the DD genotypes.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

PubMed2002

Whole blood interleukin-8 concentrations in capillary and cord blood of neonates for the diagnosis of systemic inflammatory states.

An assay is described for the determination of interleukin 8 (IL-8) in whole blood lysate instead of plasma or serum. EDTA-anticoagulated umbilical cord blood or capillary blood was added to a detergent-containing lysing reagent. This sample was used directly for determination of IL-8 using the Immulite IL-8 assay kit (DPC, Bad Nauheim, Germany) and the Immulite Analyzer. Linearity was confirmed for cord blood as well as for venous blood, at a whole blood to lysing agent ratio from 1:20 to 1:1. IL-8 was stable in whole blood hemolysate at 4 degrees C for at least 3 days; thereafter, concentrations decreased remarkably to 32% of the initial concentration after 8 days. Storage of whole blood prior to hemolysis led to increases in IL-8 concentrations of up to 4 fold the original values. The intra-assay CV was 3.4% (at 234 ng/l) and 7.4 % (at 1080 ng/l) using hemolysate samples. Inter-assay CVs of 13.3% (at 108 ng/l) and 11.7 % (at 506 ng/l) were found using control material. Concentrations of IL-8 in whole blood were significantly higher than in the corresponding plasma. In 70% of 135 apparently healthy neonates' cord blood samples, plasma IL-8 concentrations were below the detection limit of the assay (5 ng/l), whereas a range of 69 - 3150 ng/l IL-8 (median, 266 ng/l) was found in the hemolysate samples of these neonates. A preliminary reference range for IL-8 in whole blood may be set at 132 to 820 ng/l (5th and 95th percentile). In 78 neonates, IL-8 concentrations in hemolysate from capillary blood ranged from 120 ng/l to 2000 ng/A (median, 416 ng/l). The fact that concentrations of IL-8 can be determined using only a very small sample volume (10 microl of whole blood) makes the assay format especially suitable for use in neonatal intensive care.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗

PubMed1998

[Umbilical cord blood transplantation: acceptance of umbilical cord blood donation by pregnant patients].

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Umbilical cord blood is an alternative source for allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from related and unrelated donors. It can easily be collected, cryopreserved and stored in cord blood banks for later use. In Switzerland, cord blood banks for related and unrelated stem cell transplantation are being established. The aim of the study was to evaluate previous knowledge of the possible medical use of cord blood and acceptance of cord blood banking in pregnant women. METHODS: We performed a prospective open study using a structured, anonymous questionnaire at the University of Basel Women's Hospital pregnancy outpatient clinic. After concise information on the use of cord blood for transplantation, questions were asked concerning previous knowledge of the use of placenta and cord blood in general, concerning the attitude to donation of cord blood for transplantation, and the respondent's willingness to donate cord blood of her own child. Women of different ethnic background were compared. RESULTS: From 300 questionnaires handed out to pregnant women of different ethnic background attending our outpatient clinic, 250 (83%) were returned, and 245 could be evaluated for final analysis. Only 40% indicated that they did know what usually happens to the placenta after birth. In contrast, the vast majority (95%) supported the idea of umbilical cord blood for banking and later use for stem cell transplantation. Similarly, 93% stated that they would agree to donate the cord blood from their own child for this purpose, while no statistically significant differences could be identified either between women with or without previous knowledge or of different ethnic background. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the high acceptance of umbilical cord blood donation for banking and stem cell transplantation purposes in pregnant women, irrespective of previous knowledge. As there are no major differences between women of different ethnic background, a high degree of diversity of HLA-types of donated cord blood samples can be expected and may offset the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities in bone marrow donor registries.

Blood Banks↗

PubMed1993

Autotransfusion of shed blood contributes additionally to blood saving in patients receiving aprotinin (2 million KIU).

Aprotinin decreases the hemoglobin content of shed blood significantly and thereby could potentially reduce the contribution of autotransfusion of shed blood to the blood-saving program. In part 1, by means of a prospective randomized study, we evaluated the effect of autotransfusion (AT) of shed blood on the reduction and avoidance of donor blood requirements in 40 matched patients undergoing internal mammary artery bypass (IMA) surgery and treatment with low-dose aprotinin (2 million KIU). Twenty patients (Group 1) received AT with a hard shell cardiotomy reservoir; twenty patients (Group 2, control) did not receive AT. In part 2, we studied at random the hemoglobin and total-protein content of shed blood in 10 patients of group 2 and in 10 IMA patients not receiving aprotinin. Retransfused patients required 0.1 +/- 0.3 units of donor blood versus 0.8 +/- 0.2 units in non-retransfused patients (not significant). The use of any blood product was avoided in 95% and 80% of the patients, respectively (not significant). Patients receiving aprotinin lost 50% less (P < 0.05) hemoglobin (62 g) and total-protein (28 g) in their drainage system than patients not receiving aprotinin. It was calculated that autotransfusion of about 530 ml of shed blood in aprotinin-treated patients, is equivalent to 0.4 units of homologous packed cells. In conclusion, autotransfusion of shed blood may contribute to blood saving in IMA patients treated with aprotinin, which reduces the shed blood hemoglobin and total protein content by 50%.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Autotransfusion after total knee arthroplasty. Effects on blood cells, plasma chemistry, and whole blood rheology.

Postoperative drain blood was collected and reinfused using the ConstaVac system (Stryker, Kalamazoo, MI) in 30 patients after total knee arthroplasty. Of the total 1.1-L volume of postoperative bleeding, 60% was reinfused. No clinical complications were observed. Differences between venous blood and drain blood and between venous blood and drain blood after separate incubation were studied with respect to acidic and inflammatory effects on blood cells, plasma chemistry, and whole blood rheology. In drain blood, leukocyte and platelet counts were reduced (P < .001), probably as a result of consumption in the wound. Acidic incubation occurs in the drain container because of production of lactate from glucose, with a minimum pH at 5 hours of 7.2. The low pH caused slight but significant erythrocyte swelling (P < .01). The complement C3d indicated leukocyte activation, although of modest magnitude. Despite incubation and complement activation, maximum erythrocyte hemolysis after 24 hours of incubation was less than 1%. Drain blood showed a lower resistance against micropore filtration than venous blood (P < .001), mainly because of the reduced number of leukocytes, and remained unchanged with incubation. Although the autotransfusion system can be improved with respect to blood quality, filtered drain blood should be considered acceptable for reinfusion.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

Blood transfusion and blood conservation: cost and utilization issues.

Approximately 12 million red blood cell units are transfused to nearly 4 million patients annually in the United States (1). The conservation of blood has historically arisen from awareness that the inventory of this resource is limited (2), as well as the knowledge that blood transfusion carries a risk (3). Estimates of current blood transfusion risks (4-12), and the costs of transfusion complications (13-17), are summarized in Table 1. In addition, emphasis on the costs of health care has raised issues related to the costs of blood transfusion (18, 19). Finally, recent guidelines have emphasized that in the elective transfusion setting, no blood transfusion is a desirable outcome (20, 21). Furthermore, these guidelines along with consensus conference recommendations (22) have emphasized that if blood is to be transfused, autologous (the patient's own) blood is preferable to allogeneic (from an anonymous, volunteer donor) blood. Thus, the costs of blood conservation, for which an increasing array of technologic procedures and products have become available (Table 2), have also become an issue (23). The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of emerging data on the cost-effectiveness of blood and blood conservation interventions in order to help identify areas important for future investigation.

Blood Loss, Surgical↗

PubMed2001

Dietary advice given by a dietitian versus other health professional or self-help resources to reduce blood cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: The average level of blood cholesterol is an important determinant of the risk of coronary heart disease. Blood cholesterol can be reduced by dietary means. Although dietitians are trained to provide dietary advice, for practical reasons it is also given by other health professionals and occasionally through the use of self-help resources. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of dietary advice given by a dietitian compared with another health professional, or the use of self-help resources, in reducing blood cholesterol in adults. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched The Cochrane Library (to Issue 2 1999), MEDLINE (1966 to January 1999), EMBASE (1980 to December 1998), Cinahl (1982 to December 1998), Human Nutrition (1991 to 1998), Science Citation Index, Social Sciences Citation Index, hand searched conference proceedings on nutrition and heart disease, and contacted experts in the field. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials of dietary advice given by a dietitian compared with another health professional or self-help resources. The main outcome was difference in blood cholesterol between dietitian groups compared with other intervention groups. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. MAIN RESULTS: Eleven studies with 12 comparisons were included, involving 704 people receiving advice from dietitians, 486 from other health professionals and 551 people using self-help leaflets. Four studies compared dietitian with doctor, seven with self-help resources, and one compared dietitian with nurse. Participants receiving advice from dietitians experienced a greater reduction in blood cholesterol than those receiving advice only from doctors (-0.25 mmol/L (95% CI -0.37, -0.12 mmol/L)). There was no statistically significant difference in change in blood cholesterol between dietitians and self-help resources (-0.10 mmol/L (95% CI -0.22, 0.03 mmol/L)). No statistically significant differences were detected for secondary outcome measures between any of the comparisons with the exception of dietitian versus nurse for HDLc, where the dietitian groups showed a greater reduction (-0.06 mmol/L (95% CI -0.11, -0.01)). No significant heterogeneity between the studies was detected. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Dietitians were better than doctors at lowering blood cholesterol in the short to medium term, but there was no evidence that they were better than self-help resources. The results should be interpreted with caution as the studies were not of good quality and the analysis was based on a limited number of trials. More evidence is required to assess whether change can be maintained in the longer term. There was no evidence that dietitians provided better outcomes than nurses.

Cholesterol↗

PubMed2004

Organochlorine contaminants in loggerhead sea turtle blood: extraction techniques and distribution among plasma and red blood cells.

Few studies have described the organochlorine (OC) contaminant concentrations found in sea turtle tissues. These studies have relied on the opportunistic sampling of either eggs or tissues from stranded carcasses. In this study, the use of whole blood samples as well as both blood components (plasma and red blood cells) were examined as a non-destructive alternative for monitoring OCs in free-ranging loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Blood samples were collected from juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (n = 12) captured in Core Sound, North Carolina, USA and analyzed for 55 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 24 OC pesticides by gas chromatography with electron capture detection and mass spectrometry. Using pooled loggerhead sea turtle whole blood, three different liquid:liquid extraction techniques were compared. Results were similar in terms of recovery of internal standards, lipids, and OC concentrations. An extraction technique, employing formic acid and 1:1 methyl-tert-butyl-ether: hexane, was found to be satisfactory. This method was applied to the extraction of OCs from whole blood, plasma, and red blood cell (RBC) samples from five loggerhead sea turtles. Plasma contained the highest OC concentrations on a wet mass basis, followed by whole blood and RBCs. The majority of each OC compound was found in the plasma rather than the RBCs, suggesting that OC compounds preferentially partition into the plasma. On average (SD), 89.4% (3.1 %) of total PCBs, 83.4% (11.9%) of total chlordanes, 74.3% (15.1%) of mirex, 72.6% (4.8%) of total DDTs, and 80.1% (16.6%) of dieldrin were found in the plasma. The concentrations of total PCBs, mirex, total chlordanes, and total DDTs measured in both components of the blood significantly correlated to those in whole blood. These are the first reported OC concentrations in sea turtle blood. They were found to be similar to previously reported levels in blood components of humans and of reptiles from relatively clean sites, but lower than those measured in blood of fish-eating birds and marine mammals. The results indicate that blood, preferably plasma, can be used to detect and monitor OC contaminants in loggerhead sea turtles.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Interactions of aflatoxin B1 and blood components of various species in vitro: interconversion of aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxicol in the blood.

The fate of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in the blood of various species of animals was studied in vitro. Examination of the distribution of radioactivity in blood incubated with [14C]AFB1 at 37 degrees C showed that high levels of radioactivity were associated with blood cells. The radioactivity was readily removed from the blood cells by washing with fresh plasma, indicating loose binding of AFB1 to blood cells. Most of the radioactivity in plasma was bound to protein. These results suggest that a large part of the AFB1 in blood in vivo may be carried not only by the plasma proteins but also by the blood cells. When chloroform extracts of plasma of [14C]AFB1-treated mouse, rat, duckling, and hamster blood were developed by thin-layer chromatography, high levels of radioactivity were found in both the AFB1 region and the aflatoxicol (AFL) region. Incubation of blood with nonradioactive AFB1 and AFL showed marked interconversion of AFB1 and AFL in the blood of rats, hamsters, mice, and Mongolian gerbils, but not in the blood of guinea pigs, rhesus monkeys, squirrel monkeys, or humans. Interconversion occurred in red blood cell suspensions but not in plasma, indicating that the red blood cells are responsible for AFB1-AFL interconversion in the blood.

Aflatoxin B1↗