title: L-arginine levels are diminished in adult acute vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis in the emergency department.
abstract: Paediatric studies have demonstrated that l-arginine (l-arg), the precursor to nitric oxide, is diminished in vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC). This study aimed to determine whether l-arginine levels are altered in adult VOC in the emergency department. Plasma l-arg and nitric oxide metabolite (NOx) levels were obtained in adult VOC patients presenting to the emergency department. Fifty patients had significantly low plasma l-arg (29.78 micromol/l +/- 11.21, P < 0.05 vs steady-state control = 41.16 micromol/l +/- 5.04) and significantly low plasma NOx (12.33 micromol/l +/- 10.28, P < 0.05 vs steady-state control = 25.2 +/- 2.6 micro mol/l). Neither l-arg nor NOx levels could predict VOC clinical course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Bernard.Lopez@mail.tju.edu
authors.forename: Bernard L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Allyson A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kreshak
authors.forename: Claudia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davis-Moon
authors.forename: Samir K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ballas
authors.forename: Xin-Liang
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D001120:Arginine / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D010147:Pain Measurement; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine