Distribution of vitamin B6 deficiency in university students

The basal specific activities (S.A.; mumol of pyruvate/hr/10(8) erythrocytes) and the % deficiencies of activity of the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase of the erythrocytes (EGOT) of 174 university students was 0.28 +/- 0.05 and 33 +/- 9%, respectively. There was a negative correlation, r = -0.65 (p less than 0.001), between the mean basal S.A. and the mean % def. (i.e., the lower the S.A., the higher the % def.). There were students with low basal S.A.'s who showed symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. On the basis of these data, 93% of 174 students had deficiencies of 20% and higher which was potentially correctable by oral pyridoxine; these students had B6-deficient diets. On the basis that a normal basal S.A. may be 0.7, and that the maximum S. A. (0.45) for all 174 students is about 65% of 0.7, all 174 students had varying vitamin B6 deficiency, and their diets provided inadequate amounts of this vitamin.