Thiamin and riboflavin status of medical inpatients.

Thiamin status was assessed by erythrocyte transketolase activity (ETKA) and thiamin pyrophosphate effect (TPPE) and riboflavin status by erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity (EGRA) and activity coefficient (AC) in 165 medical inpatients in Ramathibodi Hospital. Based on TPPE > 15 per cent, 9 per cent of the medical inpatients had thiamin depletion. Most of them were patients with renal, cardiovascular, hematological and infectious diseases. Based on AC > or = 1.2, 17 per cent of these inpatients had riboflavin depletion. Most of them were patients with pulmonary, cardiovascular and hematological diseases. Only one patient with pulmonary disease had both thiamin and riboflavin depletion. The proportion of thiamin depletion (2/37) in subjects with thiamin supplementation (mean 32.4, median 6, mode 2 md/d) tended to be less than those without (9/98). But, subjects with riboflavin supplementation (mean 3.3, median 4, mode 1 md/d) had the proportion of riboflavin depletion (0/31) significantly (Z-test, p < 0.005) lower than without supplementation (23/104). The data suggested that although the usual dose of vitamin supplementation in medical inpatients is beneficial thiamin depletion can still be present in catabolic patients.

Estado nutricional con respecto a vitamina B2 en un grupo de adultos, antes y después de la suplementación / Ribofavin nutritional status of a group of adults, before and after supplementation

Se evaluó el estado nutricional con respecto a vitamina B2 (riboflavina), en 61 mujeres y 15 varones, clínicamente sanos,universitarios de la Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, que no tomaban suplementos vitamínicos. Se calculó la ingesta de vitamina B2 mediante una encuesta dietética de 7 días. Se determinó, en hemolizado de glóbulos rojos, el grado de estimulación de la glutation reductasa eritrocitaria o coeficiente de actividad, que aumenta en la inadecuación nutricional a valores superiores a 1,30. En los individuos con valores de inadecuación se estudió el efecto de administración de 5 mg/día de riboflavina, durante una semana. Las ingestas de vitamina B2 (mg/día) fueron, en mujeres y varones, respectivamente: 1,19 ñ 0,44 y 1,65 ñ 0,74, representando 91,5 y 97,0 por ciento de las ingestas recomendadas, siendo inferiores a éstas en 75,4 por ciento de mujeres y en 53,3 por ciento de varones. Desde el punto de vista bioquímico el porcentaje de individuos con inadecuación fue 26,2 por ciento en las mujeres y 26,7 por ciento en los varones. En estos casos el índice se normalizó luego de la administración de la riboflavina (1,51 ñ 0,14 vs. 1,13 ñ 0,14; p < 0,0001). Estos datos indican deficiencia específica de vitamina B2, de menor incidencia que la reflejada por la ingesta diaria, que se relacionó con el bajo consumo de productos lácteos

Vitamin B1, B2 and B6 status of vegetarians.

The vitamin B1, B2 and B6 status was determined in 132 healthy vegetarians, age range 25-57 years who have been practising vegetarianism for 1-22 years. Sixty-eight healthy non-vegetarians were chosen as controls. The conventional methods to measure the activation coefficient alpha ETK, alpha EGR and alpha EAST were applied to assess the vitamin status of B1, B2 and B6 respectively. The value of 1.25 alpha ETK, 1.5 alpha EGR and 2.0 alpha EAST and above indicate a deficiency in the vitamin status. The results showed significantly poorer vitamin B1 and B6 status in vegetarians than in non-vegetarians, whereas, no significant difference in vitamin B2 status was found. None of the non-vegetarians were deficient in vitamin B1 but 3 of them (4.4%) were deficient in vitamin B6. On the other hand, 10 of vegetarians (7.6%) were deficient in vitamin B1; 38 (28.8%) in vitamin B6. A high prevalence of riboflavin deficiency was found in 32 (24.2%) of the vegetarians; as well as in 15 (22.2%) of the non-vegetarians. Only riboflavin status was significantly related with the duration of vegetarianism practiced. Vegetarians should be considered as the vulnerable group for vitamin B2 and vitamin B6 deficiencies. B-vitamins status should be checked and efforts should be made to improve through dietary counselling and nutritional education should be included and stress in the health education program in order to improve nutritional deficiencies.