AN IMPROVED BIOTONOMETRIC METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF HEMOGLOBIN OXYGEN EQUILIBRIUM CURVES

A new biotonometric method for the determination of haemoglobin oxygen equilibrium curves is described. The procedure is based on the mixing of an oxygen-consuming organism, the yeast cell (Saccharomyces cerevi siae), with an oxidized blood/plasma mixture. The yeast cell consumes oxygen at a uniform rate, thus reducing the partial pressure of oxygen in the mixture. This in turn induces the dissociation of oxygen in a characteristic manner. The study of the whole blood samples from 26 he althy volunteer subjects gave the following results: p50 = 3.63 kPa+/- 0.23 kPa (mean +/- 1 S.D.); Hill slope n = 2.44+0.16; and CO2 Bohr fac tor = -0.47+/-0.11. For the within-run imprecision the coefficients of variation for the different parameters were: p50 C.V. = 4.4%; Hill sl ope n CN. = 4.7%; and CO2 Bohr factor C.V. = 19%. The determination ca n be carried out with simple equipment: a blood gas analyzer with a co upled recorder. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.