Unchanged in vivo P50 at high altitude despite decreased erythrocyte age and elevated 2,3-diphosphoglycerate.

We measured hematological and erythrocyte O2 transport parameters in whole blood and density-separated erythrocytes in 11 mountaineers before and during 5 days of exposure to high altitude (4,559 m). We determined the in vivo (arterial pHblood and PCO2) and standard (pHblood = 7.4, PCO2 = 40 Torr) O2 tension at 50% O2 saturation of hemoglobin and (P50,vv and P50,st) and Bohr coefficients (BC) for fixed acid (H+) and CO2 and examined the contribution of the altered average age of circulating erythrocytes due to the stimulation of erythropoiesis on whole blood 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) and P50,st. At altitude, whole blood P50,vv remained almost unchanged, whereas P50,st and 2,3-DPG increased significantly (+4 Torr; 3.5 mumol/g hemoglobin). BCCO2 was elevated significantly at altitude. Serum erythropoietin increased transiently fourfold, iron utilization increased, and serum iron decreased by 66%. Reticulocyte counts increased, but other hematological parameters were unchanged. In density-separated erythrocytes, P50,st and 2,3-DPG increased with decreasing cell density but were higher in fractions with comparable reticulocyte counts in cells prepared at altitude than in those from control studies. Our data show that, despite the increase in 2,3-DPG and the decrease in average erythrocyte age, the in vivo hemoglobin-O2 affinity remains unchanged. P50,st values reflect the elevation of 2,3-DPG, and approximately 50% of the increase in both parameters can be ascribed to the increase in the number of reticulocytes and young erythrocytes.