[The transport of monovalent ions and calcium in the erythrocytes of patients with bronchial asthma].
The intracellular levels of sodium, potassium, and free calcium, as well as red blood cell transport of 86Rb (a radioactive potassium analogue) and 45Ca were measured in patients with bronchial asthma (BA). The intracellular content of sodium was 10-20% higher in patients with BA, though the differences in the present sample (7 controls and 18 BA patients) failed to be significant (p less than 0.05). The differences were most pronounced in infection-dependent BA and not eliminated during glucocorticoid hormone therapy. The activity of the Na+, K+ pump, as assessed by the values of an ouabain-inhibited component of 86Rb entry, was increased by 10-20% (p less than 0.05) in BA patients and of Na+, K+ cotransport (an ouabain-sensitive furosemide-inhibited component of 86Rb entry), by 35-45% (p less than 0.25). The passive red blood cell membrane permeability in BA patients (an ouabain + furosemide-insensitive component of 86Rb) remained unchanged. The quin-2-loaded red blood cell entry rate for 45Ca was decreased by 5-10%. In the absence of a Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor (0.5 mM orthovanadate), these differences were greatly significant (p less than 0.005). In addition, the patients with BA showed a 10% reduction in free calcium levels; however, the differences were insignificant (p less than 0.25), which might be caused by Ca-pump activation. As in the experiments with Na+ level measurements, the greatest differences in red blood cell Ca(2+)-balance control were recorded in patients with infection-dependent BA and independent of glucocorticoid hormone therapy. Possible mechanisms of involvement of the changes found in monovalent cation and Ca2+ transport in the pathogenesis of BA were also discussed.