Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, Pyridoxal, and 4-pyridoxic Acid in the Paired Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid of Children

Background: We quantified pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), pyridoxal (PL), and 4-pyridoxic acid (PA) in paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from children and investigated the effect of age on the concentrations and CSF-to-serum ratios of these vitamers.

Methods: Serum and CSF samples prospectively collected from 49 pediatric patients were analyzed. PLP, PL, and PA were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection, using pre-column derivatization by semicarbazide. Effects of age on these vitamers, the PLP-to-PL ratio, CSF-to-serum PLP ratio, and CSF-to-serum PL ratio were evaluated using correlation analysis.

Results: The PLP, PL, and PA concentrations in the serum and CSF were higher at younger ages, except for CSF PA concentrations that were mostly below the limit of detection (<1.2nmol/l). The PLP-to-PL ratios in the serum and CSF correlated positively with age. The CSF-to-serum PLP ratio and CSF-to-serum PL ratio were independent of age.

Conclusions: Age-related changes in PLP, PL, and PA in serum and in CSF from pediatric patients and CSF-to-serum ratios of PLP and PL demonstrated in this study will provide valuable information for evaluating PLP supply to the central nervous system from the peripheral blood.