Serum pyridoxal in active peptic ulceration

Nutritional modulation of mineralocorticoid and prostaglandin production: potential role in prevention and treatment of gastric pathology

Various lines of evidence indicate that aldosterone and prostaglandins may play physiological roles in protecting the gastric mucosa. This would suggest that low-sodium, high-potassium diets, and supplementation with essential fatty acids that are efficient prostaglandin precursors (as in evening primrose oil), may have value in the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcer and gastritis. A low-sodium, high-potassium diet may also reduce the risk of gastric cancer.

Serum pyridoxal in patients with gastric pathology

Fasting serum pyridoxal was assayed by an automated microbiological system in 60 patients investigated for dyspepsia, patients with active peptic ulceration being excluded from the study. Gastritis was present in 30 patients, gastric carcinoma in 16, six patients had benign polyps, and, in eight patients, radiology, endoscopy, and biopsy failed to shown any abnormality. Of the 52 patients with gastric pathology, 44 had a low serum pyridoxal.

Serum pyridoxal in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abnormalities of tryptophan metabolism have been reported in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and it has been suggested that these abnormalities are the result of disordered vitamin B6 metabolism. Fasting serum pyridoxal, assayed by an automated microbiological system, was found to be below normal in 35 out of 42 patients with RA while a similar abnormality was found in 8 out of 35 patients with osteoarthrosis (OA). Within the RA group the abnormality could not be related to the age, sex, or drug therapy of individuals but of the 8 patients with OA and a low serum pyridoxal, 7 were receiving indomethacin either alone or in conjunction with aspirin.

Serum pyridoxal and folate concentrations in diabetics

Serum pyridoxal and folate concentrations were measured in 518 diabetics. There were 185 males and 333 females. The level of pyridoxal was significantly lower in the diabetics when compared with 371 'healthy' controls and 25% had levels below the lower limit of the normal range. No significant difference was observed between diabetics being treated by diet alone, oral hypoglycaemics or insulin. Only 20 patients had a reduced serum folate level and in 6 this was accompanied by a low pyridoxal concentration. The results suggest that diabetics may have an increased demand for pyridoxal.