Thiamine deficiency and malaria in adults from southeast Asia.

Krishna, S; Taylor, A; Supanaranond, W; Pukrittayakamee, S; ter Kuile, F; Tawfiq, K; Holloway, P; White, N

Journal article

Thiamine deficiency and malaria in adults from southeast Asia.

Abstract:: BACKGROUND: Thiamine deficiency (beriberi) is common in some parts of southeast Asia. Acute thiamine deficiency can mimic many complications of malaria, such as encephalopathy and lactic acidosis. We examined the incidence of thiamine deficiency in adults admitted to hospital with malaria in Thailand. METHODS: For this prospective study, we recruited consecutive patients with malaria or other febrile illness who presented to Paholpolpayuhasena Hospital, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, between May and July, 1992. We used the activation coefficient (alpha) for transketolase activity in erythrocytes to measure thiamine deficiency (defined as alpha>1.31) in patients with severe and uncomplicated malaria and in controls (patients' relatives and healthy volunteers). To exclude the possibility of interference in the assays, transketolase activity was also measured in erythrocytes used to culture parasites. FINDINGS: 12 (52%) of 23 patients with severe malaria and ten (19%) of 54 patients with uncomplicated malaria had alpha values above the normal range (p<0.0001 and p=0.0014, respectively, compared with controls), which indicated severe thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency was more severe in patients with cerebral malaria than in those with uncomplicated malaria and the controls (p=0.008). INTERPRETATION: In adults admitted to hospital in Thailand, thiamine deficiency commonly complicates acute falciparum malaria, particularly in severe infections, and could contribute to dysfunction of the central nervous system.

Publication status:: Published

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APA Style

Krishna, S., Taylor, A., Supanaranond, W., Pukrittayakamee, S., ter Kuile, F., Tawfiq, K., Holloway, P., & White, N. (1999). Thiamine deficiency and malaria in adults from southeast Asia. Lancet, 353(9152), 546–549.

MLA Style

Krishna, S., et al. “Thiamine Deficiency and Malaria in Adults from Southeast Asia.” Lancet, vol. 353, no. 9152, 1999, pp. 546–49.

Chicago Style

Krishna, S, A Taylor, W Supanaranond, S Pukrittayakamee, F ter Kuile, K Tawfiq, P Holloway, and N White. 1999. “Thiamine Deficiency and Malaria in Adults from Southeast Asia.” Lancet 353 (9152): 546–49.
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