Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) are synthesized at high levels in asthmatic airways. NO can oxidize hemoglobin (Hb) to methemoglobin (MetHb). CO binds to heme to produce carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). We hypothesized that MetHb and COHb may be increased in asthma. COHb, MetHb, and Hb were measured in venous blood of healthy controls (n = 32) and asthmatics (n = 31). Arterial COHb and oxyhemoglobin were measured by pulse CO-oximeter. Hb, oxyhemoglobin, and deoxyhemoglobin were similar among groups, but arterial COHb was higher in asthmatics than controls (p = 0.04). Venous COHb was similar among groups, and thus, arteriovenous COHb (a-v COHb) concentration difference was greater in asthma compared with controls. Venous MetHb was lower in asthma compared to controls (p = 0.01) and correlated to venous NO (p = 0.009). The greater a-v COHb in asthma suggests CO offloading to tissues, but lower than normal MetHb suggests countermeasures to avoid adverse effects of high NO on gas transfer.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Masimo for providing us with the loan of their equipment. This work is supported by HL099303, HL081064, HL103453, HL109250, and UL1 RR024989 from the National Center for Research Resources.
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Naples, R., Laskowski, D., McCarthy, K. et al. Carboxyhemoglobin and Methemoglobin in Asthma. Lung 193, 183–187 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-015-9686-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-015-9686-x