Use of some snake venoms in the diagnostics of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
The crude toxin of Agkistrodon piscivorus was found to produce hemolysis of PNH erythrocytes by way of complement activation, however the degree of PNH blood cell lysis was lower than in other techniques used. The crude toxins of Naja naja and Naja oxiana cause much higher hemolysis though lower hemolysis takes place in normal blood cells. In some normal persons and different blood diseases it is responsible for high hemolysis even when the complement is absent. From Naja naja toxin a fraction can be isolated which has a "specific" complement effect only on PNH blood cells. This fraction can thus be utilized in a specific test for this disease.
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Kornalík
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D003167:Complement Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004546:Elapid Venoms; D006457:Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans
D004546:Elapid Venoms