STUDIES ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND NITROGEN METABOLISM. I. IN PERNICIOUS ANEMIA

Abstract

A blood dys-crasia (pernicious anemia) was studied [6 cases] during relapses and remissions. Early in induced remissions the influences which lowered O requirement usually sufficed to counteract the effect of 2 factors which might tend to increase the O requirement during this period, namely, the increased O requirement of circulating reticulocytes and the increased O required to maintain the existing high level of endogenous uric acid metabolism. During an active relapse blood cells are being destroyed more rapidly than they are formed and there is a negative N balance with an increased O consumption. During induced remissions blood cells are being formed much more rapidly than they are being destroyed and there is N retention with a decreasing O consumption. There may be a direct causal relationship between the increase in N eatabolism and the increased O consumption, and a similar relationship between N storage and decrease in O requirement.