STUDIES OF PHOSPHORUS OF BLOOD: III. THE PHOSPHORUS PARTITION IN WHOLE BLOOD AND IN SERUM AND THE SERUM CALCIUM AND PLASMA PHOSPHATASE DURING HEALING OF LATE RICKETS

The healing of late rickets has been observed in the pediatric clinic of the State University of Iowa coincident with the maintenance of a low level of inorganic phosphorus in the serum.1One possible explanation of this phenomenon is that sufficient ester phosphorus (acid-soluble organic phosphorus) was available at the site of the deposition of mineral so that, through the action of phosphatase, calcium phosphate could be deposited.2If this explanation is correct, an increase in the ester phosphorus of the blood without a concomitant increase in the inorganic phosphorus of the serum might result in healing of the rachitic process. This report presents the results of a study of the phosphorus partition in whole blood and in serum during healing of late rickets in two children. The serum calcium and the plasma phosphatase have also been studied. The methods used for phosphorus partition are discussed in detail