Abstract
1. The toxic reaction of pernicious anemia blood serum as studied by phytopharmacological methods is diminished when such serum is irradiated by ultraviolet rays in a quartz tube outside the body.
2. Such detoxification of the blood serum also occurs as shown by the same test after exposure of pernicious anemia patients to ultraviolet rays.
3. A comparative study of the detoxifying power in this respect of various monochromatic ultraviolet rays on different samples of the same pernicious anemia serum indicate that the wave lengths 3130 and 2967 are the most efficient in this respect.
4. The addition of a photosensitizing drug, sodium tetrabromfluorescein in small quantities to the pernicious anemia serum increases the detoxifying efficiency of the ultraviolet rays.
5. A comparative study of monochromatic, polarized and non-polarized ultraviolet rays indicates that in respect to their effect on pernicious anemia toxin the ordinary or non-polarized waves are more efficient.
6. The penetration of ultraviolet rays through living animal tissues is shown to be much greater than has been generally supposed.
7. The influence of ultraviolet irradiation with or without addition of photosensitizing drugs on a series of pernicious anemia cases so far studied by the authors has been followed by a definite improvement in their general condition.
8. This improvement is indicated not only by the subjective and objective amelioration of symptoms and a marked improvement in the "anemia" or morphological blood picture, but also goes hand in hand with a diminution of the toxicity of the blood and therefore seems to point to a destruction or inhibition of the causative factor in the disease.
9. In view of the scientific experimental basis for the effect of ultraviolet rays on pernicious anemia toxin and in view of the penetration of ultraviolet rays through living tissues, demonstrated by the authors, and also in view of the favorable results obtained in the preliminary clinical series here described it is hoped that a further and more extensive clinical therapeutic study of phototherapy in pernicious anemia will be carried on by qualified physicians.
Footnotes
- Received June 22, 1928.
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