Levitt's CO breath test in the differential diagnosis of chronic isolated hyperbilirubinemia.

A key component of the differential diagnosis of isolated hyperbilirubinemia (HB) is distinguishing between hemolytic and non-hemolytic types. Routine hemolysis screening markers have unsatisfactory sensitivity and specificity. Erythrocyte (RBC) lifespan shortening, the gold standard marker of hemolysis, is seldomly measured due to the cumbersome and protracted nature of standard methods.

Hemodiafiltration improves red blood cell lifespan in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Introduction: Uremic toxin-induced shortening of red blood cell (RBC) lifespan is an important mechanism of anemia in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Conventional hemodialysis does not improve RBC lifespan; the efficacy of hemodiafiltration (HDF) for alleviating RBC lifespan has not yet been evaluated in patients with ESRD.

Methods: Twenty-three patients with ESRD in maintenance hemodialysis were enrolled.

Possible two-photon absorption in the near-infrared region observed by cavity ring-down spectroscopy.

Two-photon absorption spectra are difficult to observe using direct absorption spectroscopy especially in the near-infrared region. Cavity ring-down spectroscopy is a promising absorption spectroscopy technique which has been widely applied to linear and saturated single-photon absorption spectra. In the present study, we report the observation of a possible two-photon absorption in the near-infrared using cavity ring-down spectroscopy, namely a two-photon resonance of methane.

A pilot study: effect of erythrocyte lifespan determined by a modified carbon monoxide breath test on glycosylated hemoglobin interpretation.

Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is an important criterion for the diagnosis of diabetes and an indicator of the blood glucose level. The red blood cell (RBC) lifespan heterogeneity is sufficient to influence the HbA1c interpretation. In this study, we recruited 120 patients with diabetes mellitus and 85 nondiabetic controls.

Carbon monoxide breath test assessment of mild hemolysis in Gilbert's syndrome.

Background: Mild hemolysis is difficult to determinate by traditional methods, and its role in Gilbert's syndrome (GS) is unclear. The main aims were to inspect the erythrocyte (RBC) survival in GS by using Levitt's carbon monoxide (CO) breath test and to assess its contribution to unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

Methods: Fifty subjects with GS and 1 with type-II Crigler-Najjar syndrome (CN2) received RBC lifespan measurement with Levitt's CO breath test.

Red Blood Cell Lifespan Shortening in Patients with Early-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Although reduced red blood cell (RBC) lifespan has been reported to be a contributory factor to anemia in patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD), there are limited data regarding RBC lifespan in early-stage CKD. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) is considered a primary causative factor of renal anemia. The aims of this study were to compare the RBC lifespan, serum EPO levels, and other renal anemia indicators across CKD-stage groups of patients and to analyze the impacts of etiological factors on renal anemia.

Effect of Hemodialysis on the Red Blood Cell Life Span in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease.

The aim of this study was to use a CO breath test to investigate hemodialysis effects on red blood cell lifespan in patients with chronic kidney disease. A cohort of 17 non-smoking men with end-stage kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis via a polysulfone dialysis membrane (as opposed to a traditional cellulose acetate membrane) were subjected to a repeated Levitt's CO breath test to compare red blood cell lifespan before vs. after dialysis.

Rapid CO breath test screening of drugs for protective effects on ribavirin-induced hemolysis in a rabbit model: a pilot study.

Hemolytic anemia is a major side effect of ribavirin antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C. Ribavirin dose reduction may compromise the antiviral response and erythropoietin can take several weeks to alleviate anemia. The purpose of the present study was to screen potentially protective drugs against ribavirin-induced hemolytic anemia in a rabbit model, using our modified CO breath test for measuring erythrocyte (RBC) lifespan, the gold standard diagnostic index of hemolysis.

A Modified Carbon Monoxide Breath Test for Measuring Erythrocyte Lifespan in Small Animals.

This study was to develop a CO breath test for RBC lifespan estimation of small animals. The ribavirin induced hemolysis rabbit models were placed individually in a closed rebreath cage and air samples were collected for measurement of CO concentration. RBC lifespan was calculated from accumulated CO, blood volume, and hemoglobin concentration data.

Dietary exposure of the Chinese population to acrylamide.

Objective: To assess the current status of the acrylamide in the Chinese food supply, the dietary acrylamide exposure in the Chinese population and to estimate the public health risks of the current consumption.

Methods: The acrylamide content in the total diet study (TDS) food samples was analyzed using an LC-MS/MS method. Based on the analytical results, the dietary exposure calculations were performed using a deterministic method, combining mean acrylamide concentrations from the food group composite with their associated food consumptions.

[Resident dietary exposure of cadmium in Jiangsu province].

Objective: To investigate the resident dietary cadmium exposure in Jiangsu province and assess its safety.

Methods: Cadmium concentration of 229 food items under 12 food groups were obtained from the food surveillance program in Jiangsu province between 2001 and 2006. Food consumption data of 778 food items of 3938 residents who were classified into four age groups (< 7, 7-, 13-, 18-) were got from the Nutrition and Health Status Survey of the Jiangsu resident in 2002 by 24 h dietary recall on three consecutive days.

[Development and verification of Chinese dietary exposure evaluation model software].

Objective: To develop the dietary exposure evaluation model software accredited of Chinese intellectual property rights and to verify the rationality and accuracy of the results from the probabilistic model in Chinese dietary exposure evaluation model software according to international standards.

Methods: The software of SAS was used to build various evaluation model based on the data from Chinese dietary survey and the chemical compound in food surveillance and to design an operation interface. The results from probabilistic dietary exposure model for children 2 - 7 years old were compared with that from duplicate portion study of 2-7 years children dietary exposure in Jinhu, Jiangsu province in order to analyze the rationality of model.