DESFERRIOXAMINE AND FAVISM

Favism.

Favism in London.

Favism is an acute haemolytic anaemia caused by an acquired allergy to a protein of the broad bean (Viciafava). Reports of the disease date from before the fifth century B.C. and in a good review of the literature Luisada (1941) points out that favism used to have a very wide distribution in the Mediterranean basin. It now occurs particularly in the Sardinians, who seem to have retained the mor...

Favism: disordered erythrocyte calcium homeostasis.

The biochemical events that take place during acute hemolysis of G6PD-deficient subjects in favism are far from being elucidated. Evidence is here reported for a constantly and heavily disordered calcium homeostasis in the erythrocytes from seven favic patients. The abnormality, ie, a significantly impaired calcium ATPase activity and a parallel marked increase of intracellular calcium levels, ...

Ophthalmological Complications of Favism.

To the Editorial Committee of the BRMSH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY SIRs,-I read with interest the article of Choremis, Joannides, and Kyriakides on " Severe Ophthalmological Complications following Favism" (Brit. J. Ophthal. (1960) 44, 353). Since the authors state that "such complications were encountered for the first time and no information was found in the literature", I should like to refer ...

Favism: current problems and investigations.

Haemolytic favism is a severe, acute anaemia which occurs in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient individuals, usually following the ingestion of Vicia faba seeds. Current interest is focused on the nature of the active substances of Vicia faba and on the causes of the varying susceptibility among G6PD-deficient individuals to episodes of severe haemolysis. The results of experiments in ...