Abstract
Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) is a coenzyme of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase, and is involved in hemoglobin (Hb) synthesis. We investigated the serum and erythrocyte PLP and pyridoxal (PL) status in 81 young women with iron deficiency anemia in which Hb is lower than 11 g/dl by measuring HPLC. In these young women, although the serum PLP level was significantly lower than that in normal young women, the erythrocyte PLP and PL levels were significantly high. The erythrocyte PLP and PL levels correlate negatively with Fe, Hb and hematocrit. After one month of chalybeat treatment, the young women who showed improvement in anemia had decreased erythrocyte PLP and PL levels, while they increased serum PLP level. In the young women who showed no improvement in anemia, erythrocyte PLP and PL levels were higher than improvement group, while plasma PLP and PL levels were lower, both before and after treatment. Our results showed that in subjects with iron deficiency anemia, PLP and PL were retained in the erythrocytes.
