Food behavior and folate status of hill-tribe schoolchildren and women of childbearing age on the northern border of Thailand.

An insight into the folate nutritional status of the population is important from a public health perspective. The protective effect of folate against neural tube defects (NTDs) is widely recognized. To assess the health and nutritional status, especially folate status, of vulnerable hill-tribe groups, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 197 schoolchildren and 136 women of childbearing age in Chaloem Phra Kiat District, Nan Province, Thailand. The nutritional status of the study group was investigated by dietary survey, and blood samples were taken to determine hematocrit, protein, and serum and red blood cell folate. Anthropometric measurements were taken to assess body size, composition and nutritional indexes. The health and nutritional status of the hill-tribe schoolchildren and women of childbearing age were found to be unacceptable, particularly inregard to folate status, which was indicated by low folate levels found in the blood samples, and in the intake of this micronutrient.

Distribution of C14-labelled arteether in kidneys and livers of experimental mice after intramuscular injection.

To study the distribution and localization of oil-soluble arteether in experimental mice, we injected C14-labelled arteether (20 microCi/kg body weight) intramuscularly and measured radioactivity in the blood, kidney, and liver. The labelled arteether distributed and localized more to the kidney (819,180.4 +/- 34,134 dpm/cm3) than the liver (288,628.9 +/- 54,954 dpm/cm3) 4 hours post-injection. The main localization of labelled arteether was in the kidney cortex rather than the medulla (p < 0.05). However, the distribution of radioactivity was homogeneous in the liver. The terminal half-life of labelled arteether in the blood was 1.8 hours. The blood:kidney:liver ratio was 1:5:2. These findings show that labelled arteether was distributed quickly and localized in the cytoplasmic cortex of the kidney and homogeneously in the liver.

Serum transcobalamin II level in a malarial patient with ceftriaxone-induced haemolyic anaemia.

Cephalosporins have rarely been reported as the cause of immune haemolytic anaemia (IHA). The case history of a patient who had elevated serum transcobalamin II (TCII) levels due to a ceftriaxone-induced haemloytic anaemia is presented in this study. The patient was admitted because of high fever due to P.falciparum. The fever subsided after treatment with anti-malarial drugs. However, two days later, the fever recurred and ceftriazone was given. On the next day, the patient had haemolysis with haemoglobinuria and renal insufficiency which resolved after withdrawal of the drug. Serum TCII levels were elevated during the haemolytic episode and the period of renal impairment. The mechanisms of increased serum TCII are probably due to the acute haemolysis and nephrotoxicityinduced by ceftriaxone, leading to the impaired catabolism and clearance of TCII. Therefore, intravascular THII survival is prolonged. Resulting in elevated serum TCIIlevels.

Persistently elevated serum transcobalamin II in a patient with reactive haemophagocytic syndrome.

A 24-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a history of prolonged fever, peripheral blood neutropenia and bone marrow showing benign haemophagocytic histiocytosis. He presented with symptoms and manifestations over a brief duration until death, with the progressive development of multi-organ dysfunction. His serum TCII levels were persistently elevated throughout the disease duration in the hospital. Available evidence indicates that macrophages, mononuclear cells and histiocytes can produce TCII. Serum TCII levels in patients with reactive haemophagocytic syndrome are therefore elevated due to the increased be helpful in making the diagnosis in these patients.