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Serum ‘Uracil+Uridine’Levels Before and After Vitamin B 12 Therapy in Pernicious Anaemia
Author(s) -
PARRY T. E.,
BLACKMORE J. A.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1976.tb03603.x
Subject(s) - uracil , pernicious anaemia , medicine , reticulocyte , uridine , vitamin b12 , endocrinology , vitamin , intrinsic factor , methionine , chemistry , biochemistry , rna , dna , amino acid , gene
S ummary . The serum ‘uracil+uridine’levels, expressed as uracil, have been measured in 10 cases of pernicious anaemia both before and after treatment, and compared with the levels in 97 normal subjects. The mean pre‐treatment value (8.82 μmol/l., range 6.0–12.0 μmol/l.) differed significantly from that of the normal controls (15.7 μmol/l., range 5.7–40.5 μmol/1., t = 8.8, P <0.001). This confirms the low serum uracil level previously reported in pernicious anaemia in relapse. The level rose progressively after treatment, reaching a maximum on the fourth day (mean 17.85 μmol/1., range 9.3–23.4 μmol/l.). This was not significantly different from the mean of the normal control group. The difference between the pre‐ and post‐treatment levels was significant on days 3, 4 and 5 ( P <0.005, P <0.001 and P <0.005 respectively) and the rise preceded the reticulocyte response by 24 h. A further case was treated with physiological doses of vitamin B 12 (2 μg daily for 6 d) and a similar rise in the serum uracil level noted. These results are not explained by any of the known functions of vitamin B 12 . They are, however, similar to the changes in the serum methionine levels previously reported in pernicious anaemia. The latter were readily explained by the known action of vitamin B 12 on ‘ de novo ’methionine synthesis and it is suggested that the synthesis of uracil, like that of methionine, might be influenced by vitamin B 12 in man.