Abstract
Nutritional status of water-soluble vitamins in the elderly was studied from a few points of their intestinal absorption, metabolism, metabolic aspects and effects of oral administration of the vitamins. Furthermore, the relationship between several immunologic indices and the blood concentrations of vitamin B_6 (B_6) was also investigated. 1) Nine of 16 cases showed low blood concentrations of B_6, while a few cases showed low blood concentrations of vitamins B_1 and C. 2) In. B_6 compounds, pyridoxine hydrochloride was well absorbed from the intestine, and mainly converted into its active form, pyridoxal phosphate. 3) Blood concentrations of vitamins B_2 (B_2) and B_<12> (B_<12>) were in the range of normal values, and oral administration of B_2 and B_<12> did not elevate their concentrations in sera. 4) Weak relationship between serum concentration of B_6 and T_8 lymphocyte ratio was recognized.
