Applications of 31P NMR to clinical biochemistry.

In summary, phosphorus NMR presents a well documented, continuous, and noninvasive assay of cell energy metabolism in a variety of body organs. In the form used here, it is appropriate to the study of vascular and genetic diseases of the skeletal tissues of adults and energy-related diseases of the body organs in neonates. Under these conditions, 31P NMR is not an expensive installation, has a small up-keep cost, and one which in our experience can be operated by a college graduate technician with ease. We foresee a significant and generalized application to tissue biochemistry in humans.