Carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme B in erythrocytes of subjects with chronic acidosis.

A specific and quantitative immunological method for determination of human erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme B has been used to ascertain the contents of this enzyme in the erythrocytes of healthy persons and of subjects with chronic metabolic and respiratory acidosis. The investigations have shown significant increase of carbonic anhydrase type B in the erythrocytes of patients suffering from renal failure with chronic acidosis, and in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and chronic respiratory acidosis. The erythrocytes of acidotic uremic patients have a significantly higher content of erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme B than do the erythrocytes of uremic subjects without chronic acidosis. In chronic obstructive lung disease, the content of this enzyme in erythrocytes was significantly higher in the hypercapnic patients than in the normocapnic ones. In renal failure, significant correlation was found between carbonic anhydrase isoenzyme B and standard bicarbonate. In chronic obstructive lung disease no significant correlation was found between carbonic anhydrase and pCO2.