Pyridoxine deficient diet and desoxypyridoxine in the therapy of lymphosarcoma and acute leukemia in man.

By ALFRED GELLHORN, M.D., AND LOGAN 0. JONES, M.D. E VIDENCE from animal experimentation indicates that pyridoxine, a cornponent of the vitamin B complex, is an essential factor for the maintenance and function of hematopoietic tissue. Severe anemia has been induced in dogs’ and swine2 on a pyridoxine deficient diet and the integrity of lymphoid tissue in rats has also been demonstrated to be dependent upon this vitamin.3‘ The significance of pyridoxine in human nutrition is unknown inasmuch as no known deficiency state involving this vitamin alone has been described.6 Recently, Stoerk reported that lymphosarcoma transplants failed to grow in mice maintained on a pyridoxine deficient diet ; he further noted that established transplants of lymphosarcoma regressed when mice were placed on a pyridoxine deficient diet together with the specific vitamin antagonist, 7