Successful Treatment of Human Pellagra with the “Filtrate Factor.”

Abstract

György, 1 Elvehjem and Koehn, 2 and Lepkovsky and Jukes 3 , 4 have divided the vitamin B₂ complex into 3 components—flavins, the rat antiacrodynia (vitamin B₆) factor, and the filtrate or chick antidermatitis factor. Birch, György and Harris 5 concluded that the human “P-P” factor and the canine anti-blacktongue factor are different, both from the rat vitamin B₆ and from lactoflavin, and that the canine anti-blacktongue factor may be identical with the “P-P” factor. They found that pellagra-and blacktongue-producing diets were rich in vitamin B₆. Maize was especially rich. Dogs fed on a purified diet supplemented with vitamin B₁ and lactoflavin could not be cured of blacktongue unless both maize (rat vitamin B₆) and liver extract were added to the diet. Dann 6 likewise found that both yellow and white maize contained goodly amounts of vitamin B₆. Dann, 6 and Spies and Chinn, as quoted by Birch, et al., 5 were unable to cure pellagrins with lactoflavin. The experimental evidence of Jukes and Lepkovsky 7 indicates that the “filtrate factor” and the “P-P” factor may not be identical. In addition, Goldberger, et al., 8 have shown that the blacktongue preventative factor is absorbed from yeast by Fuller's earth. However, Koehn and Elvehjem, 9 although unable to cure blacktongue with lactoflavin, found that liver extract, after treatment with alcohol and ether and Fuller's earth, not only contained the chick antidermatitis (filtrate) factor but would cure blacktongue.

On admission to the hospital the pellagrins treated in this study-were placed on a maize diet similar to the one described by Spies. 10 During the 3 or more days of the control period their condition either remained stationary or became worse.