title: Increased heme catabolism in critically ill patients: correlation among exhaled carbon monoxide, arterial carboxyhemoglobin, and serum bilirubin IXalpha concentrations.
abstract: It has been reported that exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations and arterial carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) concentration in blood may be increased in critically ill patients. However, there was no study that examined correlation among amount of CO in exhaled air, CO-Hb concentrations in erythrocytes, and bilirubin IXalpha (BR) in serum, i.e., the three major indexes of heme catabolism, within the same subject. Here, we examined CO concentrations in exhaled air, CO-Hb concentrations in arterial blood, and BR levels in serum in 29 critically ill patients. Measurements of exhaled CO, arterial CO-Hb, and serum total BR have been done in the intensive care unit. As control, exhaled CO concentration was also measured in eight healthy volunteers. A median exhaled CO concentration was significantly higher in critically ill patients compared with control. There was significant correlation between CO and CO-Hb and CO and total BR level. We also found CO concentrations correlated with indirect BR but not direct BR. Multivariate linear regression analysis for amount of exhaled CO concentrations also showed significant correlation with CO-Hb and total BR, despite the fact that respiratory variables of study subjects were markedly heterogeneous. We found no correlation among exhaled CO, patients' severity, and degree of inflammation, but we found a strong trend of a higher exhaled CO concentration in survivors than in nonsurvivors. These findings suggest there is an increased heme breakdown in critically ill patients and that exhaled CO concentration, arterial CO-Hb, and serum total BR concentrations may be useful markers in critically ill conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitology, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morimatsu
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Kyoichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeshima
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morita
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016638:Critical Illness; D045853:Exhalation; D005260:Female; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006418:Heme; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin; D001663:Bilirubin