Abstract
The deleterious effect of pyridoxine-deficiency on antibody formation has been demonstrated by many authors in mice, rats and guinea pigs, while the mode of action of the vitamin has not been elucidated. The author studied about immunological phenomena in pyridoxine-deficient rats and monkeys and tried to clarify the mechanism of inhibitory effect of the deficiency on antibody formation, in relation to thymus function. In pyridoxine-deficient animals, thymus atrophy, small lymphocytes depletion of peripheral blood and immunological unresponsiveness are observed which means a remarkable decrease of immunologically competent cells. In pyridoxine-deficiency, the thymus atrophy is prominent and specific and it may cause the impairement of antibody formation. The author propose to name this phenomena as "nutritional thymectomy".
