Normal whole blood Bohr effect in Peruvian natives of high altitude.

Measurements of whole blood O2 affinity were made with an automatic technique that allowed recording of O2 saturation continuously over a range of PO2 of 1 to 150 torr at constant pH and PCO2 with fresh samples of blood obtained from 5 natives of high altitude at Morococha, Peru (altitude, 4540 m). The results were not significantly different from those obtained with controls living at sea level with regard to the dlog P50/dpH slope at constant PCO2 or at constant base excess. Both results also agree with previous studies with normal sea-level blood. Thus earlier claims of an increased Bohr in Peruvian high-altitude natives is not supported.