Effects of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C on erythrocyte enzymes in South African Bantu.

Erythrocyte transketolase (ETK), glutathione reductase (EGR) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (EGPT) enzyme activities and coenzyme effects (in vitro coenzyme stimulation) were studied in 30 random, 10 primary hepatoma, and 3 pellagrins natives from Mozambique. Twenty-nine subjects of the random group exhibited ETK coenzyme effects below 20%. Urinary thiamine levels in this group were in normal or high ranges. The primary hepatoma group had 4 with ETK coenzyme effects above 30%, and 3 of the 4 had low level urinary thiamine excretions. Of the three pellagra patients in the study, none showed biochemical vitamin B1 deficiency. All primary hepatoma and 23 random natives had EGR coenzyme effects above 30%, but the daily urinary riboflavin excretions correlated with the coenzyme effect in only the random group. EGPT activities were spread over a wide range. The random group with high EGPT activity showed a correlation with low coenzyme effect, while the primary hepatoma group did not exhibit this correlation. After 4-day single-vitamin treatment, vitamin B1 increased total ETK and vitamin B2 increased total EGR (after in vitro coenzyme saturation). Vitamin B6 did not increase total EGPT. Vitamin B2 was less effective on total EGR in primary hepatoma than in random subjects.