Carbon Monoxide and Human Disease

Danielle Morse
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, MUH 628NW, 3459 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Jigme Sethi
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, MUH 628NW, 3459 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Carbon monoxide is produced endogenously in humans through the breakdown of hemoglobin by heme oxygenase. Although originally thought to be a superfluous by-product of heme catabolism, carbon monoxide is now known to play a central role in many aspects of human health and disease. The functions of carbon monoxide that have been described to date are myriad, including blood pressure regulation, maintenance of organ-specific vascular tone, neurotransmission, stress response, platelet activation, and smooth muscle relaxation. This review outlines what is known to date about carbon monoxide as it relates to human disease.