Background/Aim: Pyridoxine deficiency may be the cause of failure to respond appropriately to iron and erythropoietin (EPO) administration in hemodialysis patients. Method: We studied 36 patients on chronic hemodialysis amply supplemented with iron and EPO, who failed to raise hematocrit levels >33%. Patients were divided into three equal groups and evaluated for 6 months as follows: Group A – no additional therapy; group B – supplemented with oral pyridoxine 50 mg/day, and group C received 100 mg/day pyridoxine orally. Results: In all our patients, erythrocyte pyridoxine levels were initially within reference range for a healthy population and did not vary significantly during the study period. Likewise, ferritin levels and iron saturation values remained normal and constant. Hemoglobin and/or hematocrit levels remained practically unchanged in all three groups. Conclusions: The results indicate that in hemodialysis patients with normal pyridoxine status who, despite appropriate supplementation of iron and EPO, fail to reach optimal hematocrit levels, additional pyridoxine treatment does not produce any hematocrit elevation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.