The effects of vitamin B₆ on immune system

Abstract

Much interest has been shown in the relationship between vitamins and immunity sincemany reports on thymus atrophy in vitamin B₆ deficient animals, suggesting that vitamins greatly influence immunity, were published. We examined the immune system of vitamin B₆ deficient guinea pigs (VB₆ DG) and performed the recovery test by giving vitamin B₆ to clarify the action of vitamin B₆ on the immune system. We also investigated the influences of vitamin B₆ and anti-vitamin B₆ on the blast-transformated reaction of peripheral lymphocytes simulated with PHA. Atrophy was noted around the T cell-abundant region of thymus and peripheral lymphocyte count was decreased to about 25% of the control. The number of T cells was decreased remarkably. ADCC% and gamma-globulin in VB₆ DG were also reduced to one half of the control, but were recovered by vitamin B₆ to 80 to 90% of the control. The peripheral lymphocyte blast-transformation rate in guinea pigs was lowered by anti-vitamin B₆. We suggest that vitamin B₆ influences the immune system by acting on the thymus and peripheral lymphocytes simultaneously.