Word: protoporphyria
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Protoporphyria victims suffer from a defectiveenzyme, which causes the protoporphyrin moleculeto seep into the subject's skin rather thanincoporating itself into the oxygen-carryinghemoglobin in the bloodstream, where it belongs.At the body's surface, the errant molecule reactswith oxygen in the air, causing severe itching andburning...
Mathews-Roth found that huge doses of betacarotene--up to 180 milligrams a day--can preventthe protoporphyria molecule from reacting withoxygen, and thus cures protoporphyria in all butthe most severe cases...
| 1 |