American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 11, 187-199, Copyright © 1962 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Factors Affecting Human Antibody Response

V. Combined Deficiencies of Pantothenic Acid and Pyridoxine

¹ From the Department of Medicine, University Hospitals, Iowa City, Iowa

A combined deficiency of pantothenic acid and pyridoxine has been studied in human volunteer subjects. In the first portion of this study two men served as controls and remained well. Two additional men received only a deficient diet and although minor abnormalities developed there was no impairment of antibody production. A fifth man received not only the deficient diet, but also the anti-vitamins, omega methyl pantothenic acid and desoxypyridoxine. His response to immunization with tetanus and typhoid antigens was distinctly less than normal.

In the second portion of the experiment, another group of five men was given a diet deficient in pantothenic acid and pyridoxine. In this study however, all five men also received the antagonists, omega methyl pantothenic acid and desoxypyridoxine. All five became ill with signs, symptoms and laboratory abnormalities compatible with two deficiency diseases. They were immunized with the antigens of tetanus, typhoid and polio. They showed a complete lack of response to tetanus and typhoid O antigen and an insignificant response to typhoid H antigen. After restoration of vitamins to their diet and reimmunization they had normal antibody responses. By contrast, all five men had excellent responses to immunization with polio antigens. The serum protein fractions showed a significant decline in the amount of gamma globulin. This decline paralleled the titer of typhoid O antibodies.

In patients made deficient in pantothenic acid and pyridoxine not only was antibody production against tetanus and typhoid impaired, but hypogammaglobulinemia also developed.