Pyridoxine-responsive anemia: report of 2 cases in brothers and a review of the literature.

I N 1953 Synderman et al.16 demonstrated that vitamin B 1 has a role in human hematopoiesis by producing anemia in an infant fed with a vitamin B6-free synthetic diet. In 1956 Harris et al.15 reported the first patient with pyridoxineresponsive anemia ( PRA ) . Since this report appeared, further similar cases have been published.4’ 9.20’253943 In the present article, two brothers with PRA are reported. The pyridoxine responsiveness of the anemia was ascertained in one of them and seemed likely in the other, due to the marked clinical and laboratory resemblances with his brother and to his recovery while receiving a parenteral vitamin B complexcontaining pyridoxine.