Metachromatic Staining of Basic Nucleoproteins in Chronic Erythremic Myelosis

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Abstract
The thiazine dye azure A was found to produce a metachromatic precipitate when combined with methylated arginine in test tube experiments. This reaction appeared to be unique to both azure A and methylated arginine and did not occur with any of the other 21 essential amino acids or with methylated lysine. A wide variety of other dyes did not produce this reaction. When azure A was used as a histochemical reagent, metachromatic material was found in the nuclei of erythroid precursors of patients with chronic erythremic myelosis (DiGuglielmo syndrome). The nuclei of erythroid precursors obtained from other patients with a variety of other types of anemia did not contain metachromatic material. It is suggested that the metachromasia of the basic nucleoproteins in chronic erythremic myelosis may be due in large part to methylated arginine. The diagnostic usefulness of this test awaits further comparisons with other types of refractory sideroblastic anemia.