Difference In Hemoglobin Concentration Research Articles

Origins of differences in hemoglobin concentration between Himalayan and Andean populations

Mean hemoglobin concentration of 3511 adult males derived from 19 studies of Andean male permanent residents and 10 studies of Himalayan male permanent residents were compared with reference to partial pressure of inspired oxygen. The regression equation (weighted for sample size) of P i O 2 and hemoglobin concentration of the Andean miners is significantly ( P < 0.01) greater than that of the Andean and Himalayan non-miners. However, the relationship of P i O 2 and Hb is similar in the non-mining Andean and Himalayan samples. These findings suggest that the observed differences in hemoglobin concentration between Andean and Himalayan samples are due, in part, to the inclusion of miners in the Andean samples. The higher barometric pressure associated with the north latitude location of the Himalayans may also contribute to decrease the hypoxic stress in the Himalayas. The present data suggest that Andeans and Himalayans have a similar hemopoetic response to hypoxic stress.

Racial difference in hemoglobin concentration of young adults

Hemoglobin concentration was measured in 1,001 young adults (34% black, 66% white), ages 17 to 24 years, in a community survey. Hemoglobin levels were 0.9 g/dl lower in blacks than in whites ( P < 0.001) and 2.0 g/dl lower in females than in males ( P < 0.001). Black females had the highest prevalence of anemia (16%) and the lowest prevalence of polycythemia (3%), while white females had the lowest prevalence of anemia (1%) and highest prevalence of polycythemia (9%). Mean hemoglobin levels in females did not increase after approximately age 12 1 2 years, while those in males continued to increase until age 17 years. Regular cigarette smoking was a potent risk factor for polycythemia in white males. Number of cigarettes smoked per week and number of years as a regular smoker increased hemoglobin concentration. New criteria, based on population distribution of hemoglobin levels, may be needed for defining anemia and polycythemia in black populations and cigarette smokers.

EFFECT OF AGE, ON THE PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA IN INFANTS

The requerimcnt for iron in infancy is proportional to the growth velocity. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA; NAS/NRC) for iron is 15mg/day from age 6 to 36 months, even though growth velocity decreases during this period. Conversely, if an infant develops an iron deficiency anemia daring the first year of life, iron therapy is necessary to regain a normal hemoglobin. We have demonstrated a significant inverse relationship between the prevalence of anemia and infant's age in the anemia prevalence studies performed in Buenos Aires and Misiones (x2 = 17.4; p 24 months) respectively. The difference in hemoglobin concentration was highly significant (paired t test 4.68, p <0.001). Decreased iron stores as assayed by serum ferritin < 12 ug/l were more prevalent in the young group: 64.3% and 19.0% respectively with a highly significant difference in iron stores (paired t test 5.36, p <0.001). We conclude that these data are consistent with a relative improvement in the anemia with increasing iron intake.

Influence of HbS levels upon the hematological and clinical characteristics of sickle cell trait.

The variable concentration of HbS in individuals with sickle cell trait led us to study the relationship between HbS level and selected vascular events in 355 hospitalized black men with sickle cell trait. There were significant differences in hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular volume found in four groups divided by their HbS level, the lowest proportion of HbS (less than 30%) being associated with the lowest hemoglobin concentration (12.6 g/dl) and MCV (77 fl). The percent HbS did not influence the incidence of pulmonary embolism, thrombophlebitis, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, or idiopathic hematuria. Our results suggest that HbS level does not influence vascular disease, and while certain hematological alterations occur, they are very unlikely to have any clinical significance. Regardless of the proportion of HbS, sickle cell trait in black men is benign.

Cadmium-induced forelimb ectrodactyly: a proposed mechanism of teratogenesis.

We have attempted to elucidate the mechanism of cadmium teratogenesis utilizing inbred mouse strains sensitive (C57BL/6J) or resistant (SWV) to the embryotoxic effect of this common heavy metal contaminant. Carbonic anhydrase activity of whole-embryo homogenates was moderately depressed in C57BL/6J mice compared to a slight and transient decrease in the resistant SWV mice. Embryonic erythrocytes were similarly examined, and the cadmium did not have any effect on carbonic anhydrase activity in either strain. Likewise, histochemical examination of carbonic anhydrase activity did not reveal any effect of cadmium in the embryos of their strain. Generally, the zinc concentration of embryos was not affected by cadmium administration. However, increased levels of zinc were observed in cadmium-exposed yolk sacs of both strains suggesting that cadmium produces an adverse effect on yolk sac function. Untreated C57BL/6J units (embryo plus surrounding extraembryonic membranes), embryos, and yolk sacs had much lower hemoglobin concentrations than those observed in untreated SWV units, embryos, and yolk sacs. Additionally, cadmium exposure significantly decreased C57BL/6J embryonic hemoglobin levels on gestation day 10 (PM) and increased C57BL/6J yolk sac hemoglobin levels on gestation days 10 (AM) and 10 (PM). No difference in hemoglobin concentration was observed between untreated and cadmium-treated SWV embryos or yolk sacs. We propose that cadmium induces forelimb ectrodactyly by creating an acidotic embryonic environment and that the primary site at which cadmium exerts its teratogenic effect might be the yolk sac.

Interrelations among Na and K content, cell volume, and buoyant density in human red blood cell populations.

This study establishes a method for determining the concentration of Na and K in single red blood cells from electron probe microanalysis of a cell's Na and K content. To this end, red blood cells were separated into subpopulations according to their buoyant density by means of bovine serum density gradient centrifugation. Cell water and Na + K contents were then determined in each fraction by conventional analytic methods with cell volume estimated from measurements of hematocrits and cell number. It was found that an inverse relationship obtains between the mean cell volume and buoyant cell density since cells increased in size as density decreased. Although the amount of hemoglobin per cell was found to slightly increase as cell density decreased, hemoglobin concentration showed the inverse relationship, indicating that buoyant cell density differences are primarily the result of differences in hemoglobin concentration. In confirmation of Funder and Wieth (Funder, J., Wieth, J.O. 1966. Scand. J. Lab. Invest. 18:167-180) cell water and cell volume was found to vary directly with the summed content of Na + K. Finally, by means of electron probe microanalysis of single cells, the cellular concentration of hemoglobin was found to vary inversely with the Na + K content, providing a quantitative basis for directly estimating cell volume, and thus ionic concentration, with this technique.

Red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and hemoglobin--oxygen affinity during normal pregnancy.

The concentration of red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), hemoglobin-oxygen affinity and other oxygen transport variables were determined during first, second and third trimester of normal pregnancy as well as 3 months post partum in 18 healthy women. The median concentration of red cell 2,3-DPG increased significantly from the first to the third trimester (16.1 to 17.0 mumol/gHb, p less than 0.01), whereas 2,3-DPG decreased significantly post partum (p less than 0.01). Normal pregnancy was also associated with relative anemia, a significant increase in arterial pH, hypocapnia and hypophosphatemia. The difference in hemoglobin concentration from the first trimester to 3 months post partum was correlated inversely with the difference in red cell 2,3-DPG content (r = -0.52, p less than 0.05). In spite of the variations in red cell 2,3-DPG, hemoglobin-oxygen affinity expressed as P50 at actual pH remained unchanged during pregnancy and post partum. The study suggests that the increased level of 2,3-DPG during pregnancy may in part represent compensation for physiologic anemia and also compensate for a factor leading to increased hemoglobin-oxygen affinity during pregnancy.

Do women with menorrhagia need iron?

Haematological indices of iron deficiency and serum ferritin concentrations were compared in 42 women complaining of menorrhagia and in 34 with normal menstrual loss. No significant differences in haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular volume, or mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were found between the two groups. Serum ferritin concentrations were significantly lower (p less than 0.001) in patients with menorrhagia. Though the iron stores in these women were significantly reduced, only a few were anaemic. Thus, women complaining of heavy menstrual loss do not require prophylactic iron supplements.

Haematocrit, glycosylated haemoglobin and diabetic microangiopathy

Dear Sir, Bodansky et al. in a letter to the editor (Diabetologia 19: 163, 1980) commented on the paper of Graham et al. (Diabetologia 18: 205, 1980) and questioned their finding of a weak positive correlation (r = 0.32) of total red cell count to glycosylated haemoglobin in 110 adult diabetic patients. However, the patient data Bodansky et al. presented for this argument had unknown sex distributions (packed cell volume smaller for females) and included patients with vascular complications and even renal insufficiency (anaemia), conditions which most often respond to hypoxia by an increase in red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). It is obvious that a strong case cannot be made with such data. We recently performed a study of oxygen transport parameters in ambulatory diabetic children. By studying children as opposed to adults one avoids the influence of factors such as smoking, differences in haemoglobin concentrations according to sex, and asymptomatic cardiovascular disease, which are likely to interfere with possible associations between oxygen parameters. The Table shows our findings. Haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit and red cell 2,3-DPG concentration were all significantly elevated in the diabetic children as compared to the healthy children (p < 0.005), and haemoglobin, haematocrit and erythrocyte count correlated to glycosylated haemoglobin with correlation coefficients similar to that of Graham et al. Our interpretation of these results differs somewhat from that of Graham et al. They suggested that the greater proportion of high oxygen-affinity Hb A~ in comparatively uncontrolled diabetics may be inducing sufficient tissue hypoxia to cause the demonstrated relative polycythaemia. Our studies have shown that Hb A 1 p e r se has only a minor effect on the oxygen dissociation curve. Of more importance is the fact that high Hb A I indicates poor regulation of blood glucose often with fluctuating blood sugars. Each time the blood sugar falls and a rapid carbohydrate utilization takes place in insulin-sensitive tissues, a lowering occurs in plasma inorganic phosphate which in the red cells leads to a relative decrease in 2.3-DPG and thereby to a fluctuating condition of affinity hypoxia [1-3].

A Comparative Physiological Study of Diving in Three Species of Nerodia and Elaphe obsoleta

The diving capabilities of snakes belonging to four species were investigated. Three of these species are common to aquatic habitats (Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster, Nerodia fasciata confluens and Nerodia rhombifera rhombifera) and one is found in terrestrial habitats (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta). In addtion, various morphological and physiological parameters con- tributing to underwater survival were examined. Underwater tolerance was approximately one hour with no difference between the aquatic and terrestrial species. The lung volume of E. obsoleta was found to be larger than the three species of Nerodia, but there were no significant differences in hemoglobin concentrations, red blood cell counts or hematocrits among the four species. Nerodia and Elaphe showed a reduced heart rate when submerged but it is not representative of the pronounced underwater bradycardia character- istic of the diving vertebrates. Based on similarities in underwater tolerance, lung morphology, hematology, and cardiovascular response, Nerodia more closely resembles the terrestrial E. obsoleta than those reptiles specifically adapted to an underwater existence.

Experimental anemia induced by excess iron excretion.

The effect of desferrioxamine on several hematological parameters was studied in growing rats. Animals given desferrioxamine intramuscularly (150 mg/kg daily) had increased urinary iron after one week, and decreased hemoglobin after 2 weeks. The difference in hemoglobin concentration between the treated and control groups was significant after 4 weeks of treatment with desferrioxamine, but the difference in the numbers of erythrocytes was not significant. The anemia was of hypochromic type. Desferrioxamine at this dosage did not retard growth. These findings support our previously reported concept of "iron-losing anemia".

Components of the difference in hemoglobin concentrations in blood between black and white women in the United States.

Hemoglobin and the per cent transferrin saturation (TS) distributions of 742 black and 3074 white women drawn from a large probability sample of the US civilian noninstitutionalized population (HANES I) were examined to ascertain the magnitude and nature of an observed systematic difference in hemoglobin levels. This significant hemoglobin difference was primarily related to a different relationship between hemoglobin and TS for blacks and whites, and not related to differences in TS between the races. This difference between the races in the relationship between hemoglobin and TS explained almost all of the difference in hemoglobin concentration at the mean, the median and higher percentiles, and half or more of the difference at the first and third percentiles of the cumulative hemoglobin distributions of the white and black populations sampled. The practical implication of these findings is that white hemoglobin diagnostic criteria (standards) are inappropriate for blacks, and vice versa, both at the mean and at the lower hemoglobin levels of clinical interest.

Intestinal bypass. Experimental study on the influence of the excluded intestinal segment.

Five groups of operated rats with 10% of the small intestine in continuity were studied. In one group the animals were subjected to 90% resection of the small intestine, and in the other groups a 90% jejuno-ileal bypass was performed. In two of the latter groups different lengths of the excluded intestinal segment was resected. The bypassed segment was anastomosed to the colon in three of the groups and to the skin as an ileostomy in one group. There were no differences in haemoglobin concentration, liver function parameters or fat absorption between the five groups, but measurements of body weight seem to indicate that the bypassed intestinal segment exerts a general harmful effect on the rats. This effect is more pronounced when the excluded segment is long, and the effect seems to be the same whether it is connected to the colon or to the skin. The mechanism for this effect is not fully ascertained.

鉄欠乏性貧血の成因に関する研究

It was studied experimentally whether excess iron excretion can cause anemia in growing rats given desferrioxamine (DFO) intramusclarly.In the group injected with 150 mg/kg DFO daily for five weeks, urinary iron excretion started to increase after one week, and then hemoglobin concentration decreased after two weeks of treatment. The difference in hemoglobin concentration between the experimental and control groups was significant when treatment was continued for four weeks, although no significant differences were observed in erythrocyte counts. Thus, hypochromic anemia was induced. However, DFO at this dose did not retard growth in rats.In the second step, iron metabolism was examined. The same dose of DFO was administered to another group of rats every day for the same period. Compared to the control group, serum iron levels were higher in the rats injected with DFO. On the contrary, there were no differences in the total iron binding capacity. Liver nonhemin iron content in DFO-injected rats showed a marked decrease, which was nearly half of that in the controls. Diminution of bone marrow sideroblasts and bone marrow stainable iron was found at almost every case treated with DFO.It was demonstrated in these experiments that excess iron excretion induced by DFO resulted in iron deficiency anemia. These results give an experimental support to the concept of “Iron-losing anemia”, anemia caused by the loss of nonhemin iron.

Haematology and habits in catfish of the genus Synodontis

African catfish of the genus Synodontis vary in their habits, from inverted plankton eaters to normally oriented benthos eaters. Haemoglobin concentrations and red cell counts vary between populations of one species, and between species of differing habits. Synodontis schall from the well‐aerated White Nile had lower haemoglobin concentrations than members of the same species from Lake Kainji, Nigeria. Synodontis membranaceus, an inverted plankton eater, had lower haemoglobin concentrations than the bottom dwelling S. filamentosus and S. nigrita. Species with intermediate habits, such as S. batensoda and S. ocellifer had intermediate concentrations of haemoglobin.It is suggested that these differences in haemoglobin concentration are a result of differing habits. Those species that enter poorly aerated water are stimulated to make more haemoglobin.

Anabolic agents and relative polycythaemia.

after the administration of testosterone an increase in the haemoglobin concentration may occur, and the difference in haemoglobin concentration between males and females has been ascribed to this hormonal influence. This hypothesis has been confirmed experimentally by Kennedy (1962). An increase in the haemoglobin concentration has also been brought about by the administration of ‘anabolic’ drugs (Booij and Kuypers, 1962; Everse and Van Keep, 1962). Both testosterone and anabolic drugs have induced remissions in congenital and acquired aplastic anaemia (Kennedy and Gilbertson, 1957; Shahidi and Diamond, 1959, 1961; Kennedy, 1962). These authors also reported polycythaemia in some cases following treatment with androgens or anabolic drugs. Gardner and Pringle (1961) have described polycythaemia in a woman suffering from a tumour of the adrenal cortex. Booij and Kuypers (1962) reported two cases of polycythaemia after prolonged administration of Nandrolone‐phenylpropionate (Durabolin) at high dosage, and they also demonstrated that this drug had an erythropoietic action in rats. But, like most other workers they based their observations only on measurements on peripheral blood and they made no blood volume determinations. Thus they were unable to distinguish between an increase in haemoglobin concentration due to a decrease of the plasma volume and an absolute increase of the whole red cell mass. Kennedy (1957), however, observed a return to normal values of the red cell mass during treatment of breast cancer with testosterone and even an increase exceeding the normal values in some of the patients. Unfortunately no plasma volume determinations were made.The results in three patients with clinical signs of polycythaemia after prolonged administration of anabolic drugs are reported. Examination of the peripheral blood showed an increase in haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume. However, determination of the plasma and red cell volume showed that these changes were due to a decrease of the plasma volume.

IRON SUPPLEMENTATION DURING FIRST YEAR OF LIFE.

Introduction It is now a well-established fact that the so-called anemia of late infancy1—occurring between 6 and 18 months of age—is an iron deficiency anemia. It is characterized by decreased hemoglobin concentration, decreased hematocrit, microcytosis, and hypochromia. This is in contrast to the physiologic anemia of early infancy which is due to a relative hypoplasia of the erythroid elements of the bone marrow and occurs in the presence of iron stores. The fact that iron supplementation—either orally from dietary or medicinal sources or from parenteral administration—will correct or largely prevent this iron deficiency anemia both in full-term and in premature infants is well accepted.2,3It has been generally assumed, however, that in well-nourished infants who are receiving an adequate source of dietary iron, the additional supplementation with medicinal iron would produce no significant difference in hemoglobin concentration or hematocrit values. The purpose of this

Evaluation of iron stores as limiting high altitude polycythemia

The total amount of iron available from normal body stores and usual dietary intake might be so small as to limit the rate and magnitude of the polycythemic response to high altitude. To evaluate this problem the influence of iron supplementation on blood hemoglobin concentrations was observed in ten members of a Himalayan expedition during the course of their ascent of a 25,660-ft peak. Half the group received iron supplements in large doses both orally and parenterally; the other five obtained only the iron present in the normal high altitude diet. Hemoglobin concentrations in both groups increased by 33% over 2 months. No significant difference in hemoglobin concentrations between the two groups was noted at any time during the course of the study. It is concluded that normal iron stores plus dietary iron were adequate to meet the needs of increased hemoglobin synthesis at high altitude in the five individuals who received no iron supplementation. Submitted on July 31, 1961

Differences in numbers of erythrocytes between inbred lines of chickens.

NO breed differences in numbers of red blood cells have been reported in poultry1 although Lucas and Dennington2 have shown small differences in haemoglobin concentration and in the volume of packed red cells between inbred lines of the same breed (White Leghorns, as used in this work). In the results reported here, much more extensive differences in all three characters, which appear to represent a distinct form of variation, have been found.

Hematological changes in deer mice acclimated at different ambient temperatures.

Deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus and Peromyscus leucopus) were acclimated at temperatures of 5° ±0.5°C and 30°±0.5°C for various intervals with periods at 20°±0.5°C preceding the cold and warm acclimation periods. Hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrits and erythrocyte diameters were measured on a group of nonsplenectomized mice and on another group of splenectomized mice which were subjected to similar temperature conditions. It was found that there were significant increases in hemoglobin and hematocrit values with acclimation at 5°C, which were more marked in the splenectomized mice. Differences in hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrits were significant between 5° and 30°C, but differences were not as apparent between mice at 30°C and those exposed at 20°C. There were no significant changes in erythrocyte diameters, although the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was significantly lower in all of the splenectomized mice as opposed to the nonsplenectomized ones. It is suggested that splenectomy in some way enhances erythopoiesis in response to low temperature since there was no significant difference in hematocrits of nonsplenectomized and splenectomized mice exposed at 20°C prior to cold acclimation.