title: Anemia of azaribine in the treatment of psoriasis.
abstract: Azaribine is an effective agent in the treatment of psoriasis. In this investigation the extent of clinical dermatologic remission appeared to correlate with the degree of metabolic block induced by 6-azauridylic acid, as quantitated by the urinary excretion of orotic acid and orotidine, and the development of anemia. Following azaribine therapy there was a coordinate rise of the specific activities of erythrocyte orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidine-5'-monophosphate decarboxylase. There was no correlation between the pretreatment activity of these enzymes and the clinical response to azaribine. The anemia of azaribine therapy was mile and of a megaloblastic type. Uridine effectively corrected the azaribine-induced anemia, but led to exacerbation of the patients' psoriasis. Following uridine therapy there was a reduction in the urinary excretion of orotic acid and orotidine, presumable reflecting end-product inhibition or repression of the first steps of a repeated pyrimidine biosynthesis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000748:Anemia, Macrocytic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000749:Anemia, Megaloblastic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001380:Azauridine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009962:Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000097:blood; D009964:Orotidine-5'-Phosphate Decarboxylase / Q000097:blood; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D001380:Azauridine; D009962:Orotate Phosphoribosyltransferase; D009964:Orotidine-5'-Phosphate Decarboxylase