Plasma contains several forms of Vitamin B6. Of all these Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), the active form of the Vitamin B6 compounds, is quantitatively and biologically the most important. As such it is essential to human health, being involved in various key biochemical processes associated with nitrogen metabolism.
Deficiency of PLP has been implicated in several clinical disorders, including peripheral neuropathy, convulsions, sideroblastic anemia and liver disease. In addition, subjects with chronic alcohol abuse and drug toxicity (due to isoniazid and hydralazine) have frequently subnormal concentration of PLP in their plasma.
The Vitamin B6 REA is a simple and sensitive radioenzymatic assay for directly measuring PLP in plasma.
The REA method provides several advantages over the HPLC method such as:
• parallel measurements reducing the time per analysis
• no sample pre-treatment, which can reduce the level of assayed Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is also a valuable prognostic marker for cardiovascular diseases. A relationship between a low plasma Vitamin B6 level and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) has been shown in the ARIC study

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