ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of plasma concentration of vitamin C is on the plasma total antioxidant status(TAS) in patients with paraquat intoxication. METHODS: As a preliminary research for this study, we measured plasma vitamin C levels, uric acid, TAS, and bilirubin from 100 healthy Koreans aged between 25-55 years. Various concentrations of vitamin C were constructed in vitro with normal pooled plasma between 1mg/dl and 100 mg/dL and TAS was measured. Both vitamin C concentrations and TAS were measured from the blood samples, taken at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 hours after a bolus injection of vitamin C(50 mg/kg) from 7 volunteers who had been recruited from medical students at our hospital. Various amounts of vitamin C were given to 10 patients with paraquat intoxication for 5 consecutive days in the morning : first day ; 100 mg single dose, second day; 500 mg single dose, third day ; 1,000 mg single dose, fourth day : 3,000 mg single dose, and fifth day ; 3,000 mg three times every 8 hours. RESULTS: The mean value of TAS and vitamin C measured in 100 healthy Korean adults was 2.22 +/-0.16 mmol/L and 0.48+/-0.10 mg/dL. Age and sex do not influence these levels(p> 0.05, data are not presented). A direct correlation was observed between TAS and vitamin C concentrations of 1 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL both in vivo and vitro. As the vitamin C concentration was increased gradually 5 consecutive days, the TAS values increased in the same way as follows : first day(vitamin C 100 mg) 2.26+/-0.98 mmol/L, second day(vitamin C 500 mg) 2.76+/-0.78 mmol/L, third day(vitamin C 1.000 mg) 2.81+/-0.68 mmol/L, fourth day(vitamin C 3.000 mg) 3.18 mmol/L. On the fifth day when 3.000 mg of vitamin C was given by bolus intravenous injection 3 times(every 8 hours for a day), the TAS values measured one hour after the injection was 3.58+/-0.37 mmol/L. CONCLUSION: When vitamin C is used as a free radical scavenger, the loading dose and maintenance dose should be around 2278 mg intravenous bolus and 146 mg/hour. High doses of vitamin C are effective and safe for patients with acute paraquat intoxication.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Ascorbic Acid , Bilirubin , Free Radical Scavengers , Injections, Intravenous , Paraquat , Plasma , Pulmonary Fibrosis , Students, Medical , Uric Acid , Vitamins , VolunteersABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The knowledge about the nucleotides sequence of 9th chromosome that regulates the phenotype of ABO blood group has made the ABO genotyping possible. Since the genotyping can be done with only a small amount of DNA sample, it was primarily applied to the field of forensic medicine. When applied to the blood bank, it is useful in the resolution for ABO discrepancies between the cell and serum typing and determination of A and B subgroups. Rapid ABO genotyping using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method and its value in determination of ABO subgroups is presented. METHODS: ABO genotyping was performed in seven patients and three families, seven were the cases of ABO discrepancies in routine ABO grouping and three families were for the confirmation of the ABO group. To identify the 261th nucleotide, a 252 bp PCR amplifed fragment was amplified by PCR and digested with Kpn I. For 703th nucleotide, a 128 bp PCR amplified fragment was designed and digested with Alu I. To determine the ABO genotype, the patterns of digestion in DNA fragment were examined. RESULTS: Among the seven cases of ABO discrepancies, B3 and Ael were two cases each. Weakened B due to leukemia was the one, and the other two cases were cis-AB and Am. The three families for confirmation of the ABO group were acquired B due to infection one family, cis-AB two families. CONCLUSIONS: ABO genotyping is a rapid and reliable method that can be used in the case of ABO discrepancies and determination of ABO subgroups.