Levels of ochratoxin A in blood from Norwegian and Swedish blood donors and their possible correlation with food consumption.

Blood levels of ochratoxin A were determined in 406 Scandinavian blood donors (206 from Oslo, Norway, and 200 from Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden), using an HPLC method. In connection with the blood collection, the subjects were asked to fill in a food questionnaire to obtain individual dietary information relevant to ochratoxin A exposure. The mean plasma level of ochratoxin A was 0.

Simple and accurate method for determination of ethylene chlorohydrin in dried spices and condiments.

A simple and accurate method is described for the determination of ethylene chlorohydrin (ECH) by using capillary gas chromatography (GC) and flame ionization detection. Acetonitrile-methanol was chosen as the extraction solvent in preference to other solvents because its use reduced the number of compounds detected by the GC system, thus enabling easier identification and quantitation of ECH. The coefficient of variation for the method is 2.

A single site serum ferritin immunoradiometric assay. A comparison between serum and liver ferritin standards and two antibody preparations.

A single site immunoradiometric assay (1S-IRMA) for serum ferritin was developed to investigate some standardization problems in the assay of ferritin. In comparison to this 1S-IRMA, a 2-site solid phase IRMA gave lower answers of serum ferritin in the normal reference range, as well as in serum from idiopathic hemochromatosis patients. Purified serum ferritin or liver ferritin gave different standard curves in this new immunoassay system and the differences obtained were further dependent on the antibody preparation employed.

Triiodothyronine (T3) binding to immunoglobulin G subclasses in a slightly hypothyroid woman.

A 44-year-old woman, with an earlier history of myxoedema, had stopped taking thyroxine and was found to have both a slightly elevated basal TSH level and an increased TSH response after thyroliberin stimulation. The T4 value was low borderline, and using a radioimmunoassay that separated free and antibody-bound hormone by polyethylene glycol precipitation, the T3 value was found to be less than zero. This last finding was explained by the existence of T3 antibodies in the patient's serum.

Serum ferritin in young men during prolonged heavy physical exercise.

The level of serum ferritin were investigated in 44 young men during strenuous ranger training courses lasting 4-5 d. These cadets were continuously subjected to heavy physical activities, almost without sleep and with a caloric deficit amounting to 29000-39000 kj per 24 h. Ferritin concentrations were consistently increased during the courses, and were still significantly elevated 2 d after the end of the courses.