Abstract

<h3>To the Editor.—</h3> Mundy et al (229:1744, 1974) referred to the theoretical risk with hepatic iron overload in patients receiving allopurinol and iron preparations concurrently. Since the manufacturer of allopurinol clearly states in his literature that these two drugs should not be administered simultaneously, I think it may be useful to the practitioner to examine the potential therapeutic significance of this reported drug interaction. Green and Mazur<sup>1</sup>hypothesized that xanthine oxidase may play an essential role in the release of iron from its storage form ferritin (hemosiderin). Several animal studies<sup>1-3</sup>and the report of a patient with decreased hepatic xanthine oxidase activity and hemosiderosis<sup>4</sup>made it reasonable to anticipate altered iron metabolism with the inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity. Theoretically, the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol, by decreasing the activity of xanthine oxidase, could thereby increase hepatic iron storage.<sup>3-5</sup> However, other animal studies<sup>5-7</sup>have not mentioned

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