Serum pyridoxal in active peptic ulceration.

Fasting serum pyridoxal was assayed by an automated microbiological system in 50 patients with endoscopically confirmed active peptic ulceration. Thirty patients had gastric ulceration, 14 had duodenal, four had pyloric canal ulceration, and two had both a gastric and a duodenal ulcer. Serum pyridoxal was below normal in 28 of the gastric ulcer group and in one of the duodenal ulcer group. No difference in the age, sex, drug, alcohol intake, or diet could be distinguished between those two groups.