Effect of oral L1 administration. Grouped profiles. Effect on basal LPI and DCI levels (A) and serum iron and transferrin saturation (B). (A) Results obtained either monthly or bimonthly with 17 patients treated for 7 to 17 months showing mean ± SEM values for LPI and DCI (both in μM). The decay lines were fitted to single exponentials y = A1*exp(–x/t1) + y0 by nonlinear regression analysis (A1 representing the initial y values, x the time, y0 the finally attained values, and t1 the decay correlation time in months [= 1/rate constant]) yielding for LPI: A1 = 5.1 ± 0.5, t1 = 1.5 ± 0.3, and y0 = 2.18 ± 0.14 (r = 0.78); and for DCI: A1 = 5.5 ± 0.6, t1 = 1.84 ± 0.3, and y0 = 2.8 ± 0.14 (r = 0.84). The LPI (○) and DCI (▪) values (μM) at the onset of the treatment were 5.1 ± 0.5 and 5.4 ± 0.6, respectively, and 17 months later they dropped to 2.18 ± 0.24 and 2.8 ± 0.14, respectively, with a half time (t_1/2) of 1 to 2 months (t_1/2 = t1 * ln2). The inset depicts the correlation between DCI and LPI (corresponding mean ± SEM values plotted against each other) and the best linear fit (slope, 0.8 ± 0.1; intercept, 0.7 ± 0.5; r = 0.8). (B) The mean ± SEM values of serum iron (SI, in μM; •) (range, 31-46; mean, 39 ± 1) and percent transferrin saturation (Tf sat., %; □) (range, 87-116; mean, 108 ± 2) of the serum samples used for the analysis shown in panel A.