Abstract
This study describes the application of a rapid, simple, extremely sensitive new assay for blood protoporphyrin to the detection of lead poisoning in the subclinical range. This protoporphyrin method has proved to be especially useful for the detection of chronic lead intoxication in children because of its precision and the fact that only 2 μl of blood are required for the analysis. Blood protoporphyrin was found to reflect better the level of bone marrow lead existing 2–3 months prior to sampling rather than the circulating blood lead level. The correlation coefficient between log blood protoporphyrin and blood lead was found to be 0.72. Over 95% of the population with a blood lead level of 0.06 mg/100 ml had a protoporphyrin concentration of ≧ 140 μg/100 ml RBC. When a group of children was selected whose blood lead was in equilibrium with bone marrow lead, the correlation coefficient was 0.91. Several micromethods for the detection of lead poisoning are discussed; using a combination of this new protoporphyrin assay together with either the determination of blood lead, the presence of increased eythrocytic osmotic resistance or the measurement of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, permits a distinction to be made between acute and chronic lead poisoning and/or iron deficiency anemia.
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