AJCN 19th International Congress of Nutrition
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Neumann, C. G.
Right arrow Articles by Dirige, O. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Neumann, C. G.
Right arrow Articles by Dirige, O. V.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Neumann, C. G.
Right arrow Articles by Dirige, O. V.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 32, 99-104, Copyright © 1979 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Biochemical evidence of thiamin deficiency in young Ghanian children

CG Neumann, ME Swendseid, M Jacob, ER Stiehm and OV Dirige

Detailed biochemical studies for nutritional status were carried out on 146 Ghanaian children ages 6 months to 6 years over a 2-year period. Study children comprised three main groups: severe protein-calorie malnutrition; mild to moderate protein-calorie malnutrition and apparently healthy children. Erythrocyte transketolase activity and the percentage of erythrocyte transketolase pyrophosphate effect were also determined. In the first year of the study elevated percentage of transketolase pyrophosphate effect indicative of thiamin deficiency was found in all three of the above-mentioned groups, with the most widespread deficiency in the normal groups. In year 2, repeat studies of the severely malnourished group after 2 weeks of nutritional therapy with the administration of vitamin capsules, which included thiamin, resulted in the normalization of transketolase pyrophosphate effect. Apoenzyme activity was comparable in all groups studied. There were no obvious clinical signs of thiamin deficiency, although sensory testing was not performed. A relatively large number of children with high percentage of transketolase pyrosphosphate effect also had serum folic acid deficiency. This evidence of widespread biochemical thiamin deficiency is indicative of an at-risk population among young children for clinical thiamin deficiency. Further studies are needed to identify whether the problem is inadequate thiamin intake, destruction of thiamin by thiaminases or food preparation methods, or malabsorption of thiamin.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
R. F Butterworth
Maternal thiamine deficiency: still a problem in some world communities
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2001; 74(6): 712 - 713.
[Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
C. D Capo-chichi, F. Feillet, J.-L. Gueant, K.'S. Amouzou, N. Zonon, A. Sanni, E. Lefebvre, K. Assimadi, and M. Vidailhet
Concentrations of riboflavin and related organic acids in children with protein-energy malnutrition
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2000; 71(4): 978 - 986.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1979 by The American Society for Nutrition