CLINICAL STUDIES OF THE BLOOD VOLUME. VI. CHANGES IN BLOOD VOLUME IN PERNICIOUS ANEMIA IN RELATION TO THE HEMATOPOIETIC RESPONSE TO INTRA-MUSCULAR LIVER EXTRACT THERAPY 1

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Abstract
Blood volume changes during intramuscular liver extract therapy were studied in 10 patients with pernicious anemia in relation to reticulocyte response and erythrocyte and Hb level. At a red cell count level of 1 1/2 million avg. plasma vol. was 30% above, circulating red cell vol. was 68% below, total Hb 70% below and total blood vol. 14% below normal. When the red cell count rose to 5 million blood vol. and total Hb were within normal limits. In the severe stages of the disease there is a relative as well as absolute deficiency of Hb. The regeneration of Hb in these cases, none of which received Fe, is slower than that of red cells. The data presented fail to reveal any constant relationship between the height or duration of the reticulocyte response and the degree of regeneration of whole blood expressed in terms of the % of the deficit present at the beginning of liver therapy.