Subnormal vitamin B6 levels in theophylline users
Martinez de Haas, M.G.; Poels, P.J.; de Weert, C.J.; Thomas, C.M.; Rooyackers, J.M.; Hoefnagels, W.H.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 141(45): 2176-2179
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 9550799 Document Number: 481316
To study the effect of theophylline use on the vitamin B-6 status. Descriptive. Department of Geriatric Medicine of Nijmegen Academic Hospital and Department of Pulmonary Diseases, University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Vitamin B-6 status was determined by measuring pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) in whole blood (using a high performance liquid chromatography method, reference values: 35-107 mumol/l) in 141 patients from the Geriatric department (84 non-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 40 COPD patients without theophylline and 17 COPD patients with theophylline) and in 25 non-geriatric COPD patients on theophylline. Of the 84 geriatric non-COPD patients (mean age: 82 years; SD: 6) 56% had a subnormal vitamin B-6 status, of the 40 geriatric COPD patients without theophylline (82 years; SD: 6) 70%, of the 17 geriatric COPD patients on theophylline (80 years; SD: 5) 94% and of the 25 non-geriatric COPD patients on theophylline (62 years; SD: 11) 96%. In patients who used theophylline a higher prevalence of subnormal vitamin B-6 status was found than in patients who did not.