Blood, 1960, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 376-387.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Cyanocobalamin, Ascorbic Acid and Pteroylglutamates in
Normal and Megaloblastic Bone Marrow
E. V. COX 1,
D. M. MATTHEWS 1,
M. J. MEYNELL 1,
W. T. COOKE 1, and
R. GADDIE 1
1 General Hospital, Birmingham, and the Department of Physiology, University
of Birmingham, Birmingham, England.
The B12 activity as estimated by Lactobacillus leichmannii, the folic-acid-like activity by Streptococcus faecalis (F.A.A.) and the ascorbic acid concentration have been determined in the blood and buffy coat of bone marrow
of normal subjects, 10 patients with pernicious anemia in relapse, a group of
patients with non-Addisonian megaloblastic anemia and some patients with
iron deficiency.
A correlation between the serum B12 and the plasma ascorbic acid and
their respective levels in bone marrow was observed. The marrow and serum
B12 levels in prenicious anemia were abnormally low, but they did not differ
from a group of 5 patients with hypochromic normoblastic anemia who had
both low serum and marrow levels. The concentration of F.A.A. in the marrow
of patients with pernicious anemia was reduced, but it was felt that this was
more likely a manifestation of the megaloblastic anemia rather than a causative
factor.
One of six patients with megaloblastic anemia of pregnancy had no detectable
deficiency, while the other five had reduced B12, folic acid and ascorbic acid
concentrations. The possible therapeutic implications are discussed.
There was a significant reduction in the bone marrow concentration of
ascorbic acid in all patients with megaloblastic anemia.
Submitted on March 26, 1959
Accepted on October 9, 1959
