Blood, 1954, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 173-182.
© 1954 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
The Effect of Pyridoxine Deficiency Induced by Desoxypyridoxine on Acute Lymphatic Leukemia of Adults
DAVID R. WEIR M.D.1 and
WILLIAM A. MORNINGSTAR M.D.1
1 Crile Veterans Administration Hospital and the Department of Medicine and
Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Western Reserve University, Cleveland,
Ohio.
1. Pyridoxine deficiency can be induced in human beings by giving large
doses of desoxypyridoxine while maintaining the patients on a normal diet.
2. In four cases of acute lymphoid disease of adults some modification of the
disease appears to have been accomplished by the induction of pyridoxine deficiency. In one case a brief clinical remission occurred which seemed almost
complete.
3. Possible other effects of the deficiency were adrenal cortical degeneration
and deposition of crystals in the convoluted tubules of the kidneys. The adrenal
changes could well be due to postmortem degeneration.
4. Other toxic effects of the desoxypyridoxine therapy were not observed.
5. Further trials of this type of therapy appear to be justified.
Submitted on June 29, 1953
Accepted on July 28, 1953
