Abstract
A study was undertaken to establish interrelationship between oxygen affinity of whole blood and level of glycated hemoglobin and intracellular concentration of 2, 3-diphosphoglyceride (2, 3-DPG), the major organic phosphate affecting the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin, in patients with diabetes mellitus. 74 non-acidotic patients, with or without microangiopathic complications were studied.
Our findings obtained in this study can be concluded as follows: 1) The major factor contributing to the increased oxygen affinity of red-cells in non-acidotic patients is the increase in HbA1 concentration. 2) The increased affinity is partially or fully compensated by an increase in red-cell 2, 3-DPG. 3) In patients under good or fair metabolic control, the compensation is adequate. In poorly controlled patients, however, it is disorderly inadequate resulting in increased oxygen affinity of various degrees.
Possible role played by the augmented affinity for development of microangiopathic complications in diabetic patients is discussed.
