Vitamin B-6 vitamers in human plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.

Background: Vitamin B-6 comprises a group of 6 interrelated vitamers and is essential for numerous physiologic processes, including brain functioning. Genetic disorders disrupting vitamin B-6 metabolism have severe clinical consequences.

Objective: To adequately diagnose known and novel disorders in vitamin B-6 metabolism, a reference set is required containing information on all vitamin B-6 vitamers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Large-dose intrathecal sufentanil prevents the hormonal stress response during major abdominal surgery: a comparison with intravenous sufentanil in a prospective randomized trial.

We studied the effect of large-dose intrathecal sufentanil (ITS) for major abdominal surgery on the hormonal stress response. Forty patients were randomly allocated to receive either IV sufentanil (IVS) or 150 microg of ITS as part of general anesthesia. In the IVS group, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol concentrations were larger than baseline and the ITS group, 60 min after incision and at skin closure.