Abstract
Summary
In an attempt to determine the possible adaptive mechanism in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease, the carbonic anhydrase level of the blood was determined in 18 patients of different ages with proved congenital heart disease of the cyanotic type. The values found were compared with those obtained on six patients with congenital heart disease of the acyanotic type, 13 normal newborn infants and 27 patients with no cardiac disease who varied in age from one week to 20 years.
It was found that the carbonic anhydrase as determined routinely was elevated in all of the patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease as compared with that of patients with acyanotic congenital heart disease or with no heart disease. When corrected for the increased hematocrit, the blood carbonic anhydrase of the cyanotic patients did not differ significantly from that of the acyanotic subjects of similar ages.
The findings by Stevenson of excessively low values for carbonic anhydrase in the blood cells of normal newborn infants were confirmed.
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