Low vitamin B6 associated with elevated C-reactive protein

January 2, 2003

Data from 891 survivors of the Framingham Heart Study revealed that C-reactive

protein, or CRP, a blood marker of increased heart disease risk, is associated

with low levels of vitamin B6. This association was independent of plasma

homocysteine levels, which are conversely associated with B6 levels. The

research, published in the June 12 2001 issue of Circulation, Journal of the

American Heart Association, analyzed blood samples drawn from each subject for

CRP, plasma homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, the

biologically active form of vitamin B6. Dietary intake of vitamin B6 was

determined through the use of food-frequency questionnaires. The subjects were

divided into two groups consisting of those with normal CRP and those with CRP

values of 6 milligrams or greater per liter. The two groups did not vary

significantly in regard to age, sex, plasma folate, plasma vitamin B12 or

vitamin B6 intake. The percentage of those with hypertension, diabetes and

coronary heart disease was also similar for each group.

Analysis of the data showed that the group with elevated C-reactive protein had

significantly lower levels than the normal CRP group, even after adjustment for

total homocysteine levels. Because dietary intake of vitamin B6 was similar for

both groups, the low plasma levels in the elevated CRP group could not be

attributed to low intake, nor were they caused by increased breakdown of the

vitamin. Since it is known that low vitamin B6 levels are associated with other

diseases involving inflammation such as rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers

hypothesized that pyridoxal-5'-phosphate is acting as a coenzyme for

inflammation-related functions, and that low levels reflect higher utilization.

They recommend additional studies to determine whether inflammation-associated

declines in pyridoxal-5'-phosphate are involved in the cascade of metabolic

events related to some diseases.

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