Abstract
In order to learn the relation between hematopoietic function in the bone marrow and xanthopterin metabolism, the authors determined the urinary excretion of xanthopterin in normal persons and patients with various blood diseases, and furthermore examined the change in the urinary excretion of xanthopterin in the course of these diseases. The results obtained showed that the daily urinary excretion of xanthopterin averaged 4.4 mg in 8 normal persons, and there were no differences between both sexes. The urinary excretion of the substance of pregnant women was increased. In 20 patients with various diseases, the daily urinary excretion of xanthopterin in 4 of 6 patients with aplastic anemia and each patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia, lymphatic aleukemia, chronic lymphatic leukemia and Kala-a〓ar, respectively, increased remarkably as compared with that of the control. On the contrary, in a young woman with aplastic anemia accompanied by the tendency of bleeding and a patient with anemia due to ancylostomiasis in the recovery stage of anemia the excretion of xanthopterin decreased. In either a patient with hypochromic anemia or anemia due to ancylostomiasis, the daily excretion of xanthopterin decreased gradually in the course of treatment.
