Dermatological and Biochemical Anomalies in Two Patients with Pellagroid Syndromes

Pellagra: a still existing disease

“…Thus, Brune et al (1971) reported 4 cases in Hamburg while, in East Germany, Von Schlenzka & Grimm (1974) found 12 cases. In Holland and Finland, cases have also been reported (Smeenk & Hulsmans, 1969;Jansen & Havu, 1972). Random cases are still observed in England and recently two affected females were hospitalized at St John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin (Magnus, 1975).…”

Pellagra, serotonin and 5-HIAA

“…It has been well documented that pellagra is a clinical syndrome which arises from a cellular deficiency of niacin (Spies, Cooper & Blankenhorn, 1938;Duncan, 1965;Barrett-Connor, 1967;Smeenk & Hulsmans, 1969). It is also well known that tryptophan can be metabolized to nicotinic acid as well as to serotonin and to its final metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) (Udenfriend & Brodie, 1958;Sjoerdsma, 1959;Smeenk & Hulsmans, 1969), although the processes involved are complex and are not completely understood. We wondered whether the deficiency of nicotinic acid in pellagra patients might be correlated with changed levels of serotonin in the serum or of 5-HIAA ih the urine.…”