Erythrocytes disorders affecting

Excessive amounts of arsenic can cause skin, lung, and heart diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders, and it is known to have a carcinogenic influence. As" " compounds, which are bound by erythrocytes, affect the activity of numerous enzymes - especially those involved in respiratory processes (Cebrian et al., 1983 Done and Peart, 1971 National Academy of Sciences, 1977 WHO, 2001). 

Hokin-Neaverson M, Jefferson JW Deficient erythrocyte Na,K-ATPase activity in different affective states in bipolar affective states in bipolar affective disorder and normalization by lithium therapy. Neuropsychobiology 22 18-25, 1989a Hokin-Neaverson M, Jefferson JW Erythrocyte sodium pump activity in bipolar affective disorder and other psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychobiology 22 1-7, 1989b... 

Nasrallah HA, Varney N, Coffman JA, et al Opiate antagonism fails to reverse post-ECT cognitive deficits. J Clin Psychiatry 47 555-556, 1986 Nasrallah HA, Coffman JA, Olson SC Structural brain-imaging findings in affective disorders an overview. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1 21-26, 1989 Naylor GJ, Smith AHW Defective genetic control of sodium-pump density in manic depressive psychosis. Psychol Med 11 257-263, 1981 Naylor GJ, McNamee HB, Moody JP Erythrocyte sodium and potassium in depressive illness. J Psychosom Res 14 173-177, 1970 Naylor GJ, McNamee HB, Moody JP Changes in erythrocyte sodium and potassium on recovery from depressive illness. Br J Psychiatry 118 219-223, 1971 Naylor GJ, Dick DAT, Dick EG, et al Lithium therapy and erythrocyte membrane cation carrier. Psychopharmacologia 37 81-86, 1974 Naylor GJ, Smith AHW, Dick EG, et al Erythrocyte membrane cation carrier in manic-depressive psychosis. Psychol Med 10 521-525, 1980... 

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease resulting from production of autoantibodies against AChR at the motor end plate, causing defects in neuromuscular transmission. Depending on the muscles affected a patient may develop dysphagia or respiratory failure [1]. The appearance of pathological forms of erythrocytes such as stomatocytes, echinocytes etc., in peripheral blood causes microcirculation disorders [2]. 

Biochemical variables in erythrocytes, mood states, and adverse effects of lithium were measured in 30 patients, mostly men, who had bipolar disorder and were undergoing lithium treatment (736). Most (87%) had bipolar I affective disorder. The major finding was that when the serum lithium concentration was in the 0.93-1.42 mmol/1 range, there was a full response without toxicity. Higher values predicted toxicity and lower values predicted partial response. 

There may be abnormalities in eiythrocyte membrane transport properties in patients with bipolar affective disorders, though the interpretation is confounded by the uncertainty with regard to the contribution of hypertension in patients who are coincidentally hypertensive and manic depressive. The administration of lithium also may cause adaptive change (93,117,135-137). This results in an increase in erythrocyte lithium concentrations after prolonged lithium therapy, which could be mediated either by increased flux into the cell or via reduction in efflux rate. An increased content of ankyrins, red cell membrane proteins affecting cytoskeletal structure and functions, has been found in some patients with bipolar affective disorder (138) and this raises further the role of erythrocyte membrane defects in the etiology of the disease. 

Screening family members to identify asymptomatic individuals who have inherited AIP, VP, or HCP, and are therefore at risk for acute attacks, is an essential part of management of families with these disorders. Screening may be carried out by metabolite measurement, enzyme assay, DNA analysis, or a combination of these approaches. The most sensitive metabolite assays for the presymptomatic diagnosis of each disorder are listed in Table 32-7. These tests are almost always normal before puberty and therefore are not suitable for the investigation of children. In addition, urinary PEG excretion in AIP and the plasma fluorescence scan in VP may often be normal in asymptomatic adults shown by DNA analysis to be affected (Table 32-7). Measurement of the activity of the defective enzyme is more sensitive, but both sensitivity and specificity are limited by the overlap between activities in disease and in the normal population. Erythrocyte HMBS assay is widely used for the presymptomatic diagnosis of AIP. ... 

Some of the genetic disorders described above are associated with chronic anemias of apparent hemolytic origin. Since the overwhelming fraction of lead in blood is bound in the erythrocytes, erythrocyte survival might affect lead s persistence in, and removal from, the blood compartment. However, the extent to which such alterations in the relationship of erythrocytes to lead biokinetics can be captured in single PbB measurements has not been investigated in any detail. 

Erythrocyte stability and survival are also affected by lead even in the absence of any genetic disorders predisposing to reduced erythrocyte survival and stability. Shortened erythrocyte life span, associated increase in reticulo-cytosis, and lead-impaired heme and globin synthesis collectively work to produce a lead-associated anemia, largely at the relatively high values of PbB encountered in occupational Pb contact (see, for example, U.S. EPA, 1986, Ch. 12). Genetically induced anemia in individuals also at risk for Pb-induced anemia would, in theory, further aggravate the reliability of the dose portion of dose—toxic response relationships across the spectrum of toxicity. 

The plasma bicarbonate level is normally a reflection of both the erythrocyte buffering mechanisms and the renal acid-base homeostatic mechanisms. The former affects the actual bicarbonate level but not the standard bicarbonate. The standard bicarbonate gives a measure of the non-respiratory contribution and its measurement is therefore useful in acute respiratory disorders when a metabolic component is involved. 

G6PD deficiency (17a) is the most common erythrocyte enzyme disorder in the world, affecting more than 100 million people worldwide. This generic conchrion is very common in the populations of East and Central Africa, the areas round the Mediterranean, the Middle East and South East Asia. The conchrion is inherited in an X-hnked manner, and female carriers have some protection against infection by malaria. 

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