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.