Blood Cell Transaminase Activity in Human Vitamin B6Deficiency

Abstract

The glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity was measured in the erythrocytes, leukocytes and plasma of human adults subjected to a vitamin B₆ deficiency. The results demonstrated that the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity in these blood components could not in itself be used to establish the presence of a vitamin B₆ deficiency, even though the subjects studied were considered to be exceedingly deficient, based on the urinary excretion of xanthurenic acid following a tryptophan load test. The findings suggest that the in vitro stimulation of the erythrocyte glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity by pyridoxal phosphate may be a useful measurement in the evaluation of vitamin B₆ nutritional status.