Blood, 1966, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 557-566.
© 1966 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
The Response of Free Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin to
Pyridoxine Therapy in a Patient with Sideroachrestic
(Sideroblastic) Anemia
G. R. LEE 1,
G. E. CARTWRIGHT 1, and
M. M. WINTROBE 1
1 Department of Medicine, University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Studies of a patient with acquired sideroachrestic anemia and metastatic
carcinoma of the prostate are presented. Although the administration of pyridoxine did not elicit a hematologic response, the administration of this vitamin
was associated with a remarkable accumulation of protoporphyrin within the
erythrocytes. It is suggested that there were two defects in the hemoglobin
biosynthetic pathway: impaired incorporation of protoporphyrin into hemoglobin and defective delta-aminolevulinic acid synthesis. Pyridoxine had no
effect on the former hut partially corrected the latter.
Submitted on May 3, 1965
Accepted on July 10, 1965
