Abstract
Oxygen equilibrium curves of red cell suspensions were measured on 34 anemic children with malignant disease and 10 non-anemic control subjects, and the results were compared to the levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate(DPG). The P50 and DPG levels for normal controls were in a narrow range (P50=29.1±0.7mm Hg, DPG=4.448±.329 umoles/ml RBC), while many of the children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy showed abnormally low P50 values in view of the anemia (Hct.=21 1±4.0%). One group which consisted primarily of patients with acute leukemia in relapse did not respond to the anemia with an increase in P50(28.8±1.8mm Hg) or in DPG levels (4.678±.449 umoles/ml RBC). Another group comprised primarily of patients with solid tumors with progressive disease and acute leukemia receiving intensive chemotherapy demonstrated no increase in P50(28.1±0.9mm Hg) in spite of elevated DPG levels(6.493±.868 umoles/ml RBC). Upon retrospective analysis, the low P50 values with or without elevated DPG levels were found to be related in part to the chemotherapy, frequency of prior transfusion, and bone marrow status of the child. Studies on 15 additional children requiring transfusion showed that patients with poor bone marrow function, due either to intensive chemotherapy or malignant cell infiltration, did not exhibit the rapid recovery in P50 to normal values following transfusions with old blood. These studies indicate that children with malignancies and poor bone marrow activity requiring repetitive transfusion should be given relatively fresh blood.
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Festa, R., Asakura, T. & Schwartz, E. ABNORMALLY LOW P50 IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANCIES. Pediatr Res 11, 471 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00606
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00606