title: Ischemia-modified albumin levels in carbon monoxide poisoning.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is an emerging diagnostic biomarker for many ischemic conditions. This study was conducted to investigate whether there is a change in IMA levels in carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and, if so, the clinical relevance of IMA levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cohort study, performed between November 2008 and April 2009, compared the serum IMA levels of 33 CO-poisoned patients taken at the time of presentation at the emergency department and after 3 hours of treatment and 49 healthy controls. In addition, IMA and carboxyhemoglobin levels were analyzed according to CO poisoning patients' poisoning severity scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Carbon monoxide patients' IMA levels were higher than those of the control group both at time of admission and at the third hour of the treatment, P < .0001. A significant fall was determined in carboxyhemoglobin (CO-Hb) levels at the end of the third hour of treatment, P < .0001. However, there was no significant difference between the IMA levels measured at admission and at the end of the third hour of treatment (P > .05). There was no significant correlation between IMA and CO-Hb levels in CO-poisoned patients. Also, there was no difference in blood IMA levels in classification according to patients' poisoning severity score and CO-Hb levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this pioneering study established a high level of IMA in CO-poisoned patients, suggesting that IMA may also be sensitive to hypoxia. Considering the preliminary nature of this study, the clinical utility of IMA levels in CO poisoning should be further investigated with more comprehensive studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. suleymanturedi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turedi
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cinar
authors.forename: Umit
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaldirim
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mentese
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tatli
authors.forename: Erdem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cevik
authors.forename: Salim Kemal
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: Abdulkadir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yamanel
authors.forename: Suleyman Caner
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Karahan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin