The influence of passive smoking on the cardiovascular system.

Cardiovascular effects of tobacco smoke have been studied in passive smokers far less extensively than in active smokers. Under real-life conditions, passive smokers inhale approximately 0.02 to 0.

[Analytic and diagnostic validity of the determination of carboxyhemoglobin in blood and carbon monoxide in the breath of smokers and non-smokers].

The analytic and diagnostic validity of the determination of carboxyhaemoglobin and carbon monoxide in smokers and non-smokers was investigated. Both methods are of high analytic and diagnostic validity. Precision and accuracy fullfil the essential requirements.

Effect of cigarette smoking on white blood cells and erythrocyte enzymes.

Healthy volunteers smoked 21 to 26 cigarettes containing different amounts of condensate (tar) and nicotine for 16 wk. Enzymes and metabolites of erythrocyte metabolism were not influenced, with the exception of a slight inhibition of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase. Hematological parameters were normal except the white blood count, which was elevated in smokers but remained within the normal range.

[The influence of different diets and smoking on the clinical chemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, and carcinoid syndrome (author's transl)].

The interference of various foodstuffs on methods to determine epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE), vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), metanephrines (MN), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 6-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIA) in the 24 h urine for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and carcinoid syndrome, respectively, was investigated. The foodstuffs included were: tea, coffee, almonds, pineapples, cheese, walnuts, vanilla pudding, bananas, tomatoes, and chocolate. Further, the interference of cigarette smoking on the determination of E, NE, VMA, and MN was also investigated.

Comparative evaluation of different spectrophometric methods for the determination of small amounts of carboxyhaemoglobin.

Four spectrophotometric methods measuring HbCO were investigated in comparison with an analyzer (CO-Oximeter) in order to find a method determining HbCO fractions) below 0.10 with sufficient reliability. The CO-Oximeter was chosen as "reference" method because results of other authors with this instrument yielded good agreement with other methods, e.

Hereditary deficiency of triosephosphate isomerase in four unrelated families.

Triosephosphate isomerase deficiencies in erythrocytes and leucocytes were discovered in three unrelated families by a heterozygote screening of 3000 blood samples. In addition, a family found by Schroter et al. [not published] was studied.

Toxicological and clinical aspects of cyanide metabolism.

This contribution deals with the occurrence of cyanide and its biological pathways in the body. Especially possibilities of detoxification are pointed out. Intoxications are caused by acute and chronical cyanide uptake.