British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1988, Vol. 61, No. 5 565-568
© 1988 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia
research-article |
DETECTION OF MALIGNANT HYPERTHERMIA SUSCEPTIBILITY USING A SPIN LABEL TECHNIQUE ON RED BLOOD CELLS
Membrane Research Institute 3401 Market St, Philadelphia, Pa 19104, U.S.A.
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department of Clinical Neuro-sciences, University of Calgary Calgary Alberta, Canada
Correspondence to S.T.O.
Using spin labelled red blood cells and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), we observed that halothane 3 mmol litre1 produced a much greater decrease in the rotational correlation time of red blood cells from individuals who were at risk for malignant hyperthermia (MH), compared with normals. Subsequently we performed blind tests on 14 individuals whose MH susceptibility status had been determined on the basis of in vitro contracture studies. When compared with the results of the in vitro contracture studies, the EPR studies predicted orrectly the patients' status in 13 of the 14 individuals.