THE EFFECT OF YEAST AND WHEAT EMBRYO IN ANAEMIAS: II. THE NATURE OF THE HAEMOPOIETIC FACTOR IN YEAST EFFECTIVE IN PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA

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Abstract
To avoid contact with traces of intrinsic factor possibly present in the gastric juice of cases of Addi-sonian pernicious anemia, yeast products which influenced blood regeneration when given orally were administered rectally or intramusc. in 13 cases of pernicious anemia. The neg. results supported the hypothesis that the hemopoietic effect of yeast is due, not to a substance resembling liver active principle, but to the extrinsic factor of Castle. The factor was present in the 65% alcohol-soluble fraction of fresh (non-autolyzed) brewer''s yeast. Autolysis did . not noticeably increase the potency of yeast for blood regeneration in pernicious anemia. The vit. B2 potency of yeast extracts as tested in rats did not parallel their effect on hemopoiesis in pernicious anemia. Including the previous series, 18 patients with Addisonian pernicious anemia received yeast or wheat germ by mouth; 10 showed some hemo-poietic response. Many cases of pernicious anemia, although associated with a histamine-refractory achylia, may retain the ability to secrete intrinsic factor and a hemopoietic response to yeast is an indication of this functional activity of the stomach. There was no correlation between the secretion of intrinsic factor, as indicated by the hemopoietic response to yeast, and the secretion of acid, pepsin, or chlorides, as detd. by gastric analysis after histamine stimulation. In cases of megalo-cytic hyperchromic anemia in which the response to yeast is marked, it is probable that causes other than deficient secretion of intrinsic factor have contributed to the development of the syndrome.

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