Biochemical studies of pyridoxal and pyridoxal phosphate status and therapeutic trial of pyridoxine in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

A number of recent studies report response of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome to pyridoxine treatment. Neurological and biochemical studies were therefore performed on six patients both before and after treatment with pyridoxine for at least 9 weeks. Free pyridoxal, pyridoxal phosphate, and total pyridoxal were assayed in plasma and neutrophils. The pyridoxal status was also estimated by assaying red cell aspartate aminotransferase. No evidence was obtained to suggest that these patients were deficient in either pyridoxal or pyridoxal phosphate. Although four of the patients claimed some partial symptomatic relief, there was no consistent improvement in clinical findings or neurophysiological measurements following pyridoxine treatment.