Received on December 31, 2005
Accepted on April 6, 2006

Hemostasis and Thrombosis

Predictors of Vitamin B₆ and Folate Concentrations in Older Persons: The InCHIANTI Study

¹ Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, and Multidisciplinary Centre of Research on Food Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
² Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
³ Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy and Tuscany Regional Health Agency, Florence, Italy
⁴ Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
⁵ Tuscany Regional Health Agency, Florence, Italy
⁶ Geriatric Rehabilitation, Azienda Sanitaria di Firenze, Florence, Italy
⁷ Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy and Centro S. Maria agli Ulivi, Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus IRCCS-Impruneta, Florence, Italy
⁸ Longitudinal Studies Section, Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: annamaria.gori{at}unifi.it.

Background: Low dietary intake and low serum concentrations of vitamin B₆ and/or folate are associated with increased risk of vascular events, possibly because of their association with inflammation, which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.

Methods: Using data from 1320 participants in the population-based InCHIANTI study (586 men and 734 women; median age, 69 years; range, 21-102 years) for whom complete data on folate, vitamin B₆, inflammatory markers, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotype, and important covariates were available, we evaluated the association of inflammatory markers with circulating concentrations of vitamin B₆ and folate, independently of dietary vitamin intake, circulating vitamin concentrations, and MTHFR C677T genotype.

Results: According to multiple linear regression analysis, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 receptor were strongly and negatively associated with circulating vitamin B₆ but not with folate concentrations, independent of age, sex, serum creatinine, serum albumin, total energy intake, smoking history, dietary nutrient intake, and circulating homocysteine and vitamin concentrations. Serum folate concentrations were related to MTHFR C677 TT genotype in persons with folate intake in the lowest tertile (<221.2 µg/day). Vitamin C and retinol intakes were strongly and positively associated with serum folate concentrations independent of age, sex, serum creatinine, serum albumin, total energy intake, smoking history, homocysteine plasma concentrations, dietary nutrient intakes, serum vitamin B₆ and vitamin B₁₂ concentrations, and MTHFR C677T genotype.

Conclusions: Low serum vitamin B₆, but not serum folate, concentrations are independent correlates of the proinflammatory state, and both are influenced by antioxidant reserves.