Levels of the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase of erythrocytes of pregnant women and of cord bloods of newborn infants.

The mean basal specific activity (S.A.) of the glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase of erythrocytes (EGOT) for a group of 64 pregnant women was lower (p less than 0.001) than the value for the cord bloods of newborn infants, and lower (p less than 0.001) than the value for adults who had a top limit of S.A. of EGOT. In establishing the top limit of the S.A., it is important that the mean basal S.A. of the cord bloods from 49 newborn infants was identical to the mean basal S.A. of adults who had an adequate supplement of pyridoxine. There were no differences in the mean basal S.A.'s of the cord bloods between asymptomatic mothers and mothers who had anemia, edema, hypertension, proteinuria and glucosuria. An infant may be born with a top limit of S.A. which is non-deficient in pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, but a mother can have a low level of the transaminase, and which is deficient in the coenzyme.