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  • Original Article
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Vitamin B6 supplementation increases immune responses in critically ill patients

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 1207–1213 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate whether vitamin B6 supplementation has a beneficial effect on immune responses in critically ill patients.

Design:

A single-blind intervention study.

Setting:

The study was performed at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital, the central part of Taiwan.

Subjects:

Fifty-one subjects who stayed over 14 days in the intensive care unit completed the study. Subjects were not treated with any vitamin supplement before the intervention.

Interventions:

Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups, control (n=20), a daily injection of 50 mg vitamin B-6 (B6-50, n=15), or 100 mg vitamin B-6 (B6-100, n=16) for 14 days.

Main outcome measures:

Plasma pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP), pyridoxal (PL), 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA), erythrocyte alanine (EALT-AC) and aspartate (EAST-AC) aminotransaminase activity coefficient, and urinary 4-PA were measured. The levels of serum albumin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and immune responses (white blood cell, neutrophils, total lymphocytes count (TLC), T- (CD3) and B-(CD19) lymphocytes, T-helper (CD4) and suppressor (CD8) cells) were determined.

Results:

Plasma PLP, PL, 4-PA and urinary 4-PA concentrations significantly increased in two treated groups. T-lymphocyte and T-helper cell numbers and the percentage of T-suppressor cell significantly increased on day 14 in the B6-50 group. Total lymphocyte count, T-helper and T-suppressor cell numbers, the percentage of T-lymphocyte cells and T-suppressors significantly increased in the B6-100 group at the 14th day. There were no significant changes with respect to immune responses in the control group over 14 days.

Conclusions:

A large dose of vitamin B6 supplementation (50 or 100 mg/day) could compensate for the lack of responsiveness of plasma PLP to vitamin B6 intake, and further increase immune response of critically ill patients.

Sponsorship:

This study was supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, Republic of China (NSC-92-2320-B-040-026).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Critical Care and Respiratory Therapy, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    C-H Cheng

  2. Department of Nutrition, St Martin De Porres, Hospital, Chia-Yi, Taiwan, Republic of China

    S-J Chang

  3. Intensive Care Unit, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    B-J Lee

  4. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    K-L Lin

  5. School of Nutrition, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Y-C Huang

Authors
  1. C-H Cheng
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  2. S-J Chang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y-C Huang.

Additional information

Guarantor: YC Huang.

Contributors: C-HC was responsible for the screening and intervention of subjects and interpretation of the results. S-JC was responsible for data coding, sample analyses, and statistical analyses. B-JL was responsible for the screening and intervention of subjects. K-LL was responsible for the hematological measurements. Y-CH was responsible for the development of intellectual content and the study design, interpretation of the results, and manuscript drafting.

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Cheng, CH., Chang, SJ., Lee, BJ. et al. Vitamin B6 supplementation increases immune responses in critically ill patients. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 1207–1213 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602439

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602439

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