Effect of ozone on the agglutination of erythrocytes by concanavalin A: II. Study of human subjects receiving supplemental vitamin E

Studies of the effect of ozone on the response of human erythrocytes to concanavalin A revealed a decrease in agglutinability following in vitro exposure (1 ppm ozone × 30 min) similar to that previously observed in rat erythrocytes. Incubation of human erythrocytes with malonaldehyde, an oxidation product of polyunsaturated fatty acids, also resulted in decreased agglutination by concanavalin A. Red cells obtained from 29 subjects receiving either vitamin E (800 IU) or a placebo daily were examined before and after the subjects were exposed to 0.5 ppm ozone for 2 hr. A tendency toward a decrease in agglutinability by concanavalin A following ozone exposure was present in the red cells of those subjects not receiving supplemental vitamin E. However, the results were not statistically significant.