A diagnosis and treatment gap for thiamine deficiency disorders in sub-Saharan Africa?

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Volumn 1408, Issue 1, 2017, Pages 15-19

  Adamolekun, Bola ^a   Hiffler, Laurent ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER   (United States)

Author keywords

Africa; beriberi, infant mortality; deficiency; thiamine

Indexed keywords

AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA; DIET; HEALTH SERVICE; HUMAN; RISK FACTOR; STATISTICS AND NUMERICAL DATA; SYNDROME; THIAMINE DEFICIENCY;

AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA; DIET; HEALTH SERVICES NEEDS AND DEMAND; HUMANS; RISK FACTORS; SYNDROME; THIAMINE DEFICIENCY;

EID: 85039561539     PISSN: 00778923     EISSN: 17496632     Source Type: Book Series    
DOI: 10.1111/NYAS.13509     Document Type: Review

References (28)

1. WHO & UNHCR. 1999. Thiamine deficiency and its prevention and control in major emergencies. WHO/NHD/99. 13.
2. Thuram, D. 2005. Thiamine physiology. In Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition. 2nd ed. B. Caberlerro, L. Allen & A. Prentice, Eds.: 263–269. London: Academic Press.
3. Soukaloun, D., S. Kounnavong, B. Pengdy, et al. 2003. Dietary and socio-economic factors associated with infantile beriberi in breastfed Lao infants. Ann. Trop. Paed. 23: 181–186.
4. Khounnorath, S., K. Chamberlain, A.M. Taylor, et al. 2011. Clinically unapparent infantile thiamin deficiency in Vientiane, Laos. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 5: e969.
5. Barennes, H., K. Sengkhamyong, J.P. Rene, et al. 2015. Beriberi (thiamine deficiency) and high infant mortality in Northern Laos. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 9: 3.
6. Neumann, C.G., M.E. Swendseid, M. Jacob, et al. 1979. Biochemical evidence of thiamine deficiency in young Ghanaian children. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 32: 99–104.
7. Duce, M., J.M. Escriba, C. Masuet, et al. 2003. Suspected thiamine deficiency in Angola. Field Exchange 20: 26–28.
8. Tajahmady, A., J. Vatresous, D. Sissoko, et al. 2004. Une Epidemie de beriberi infantile a Mayotte. Bull. Epidemiol. Hebdo 45: 213–214.
9. Ogeng’o, J.A., P.M. Gatonga, B.O. Olabu, et al. 2013. Pattern of congestive heart failure in a Kenyan paediatric population. Cardiovasc. J. Afr. 24: 117–120.
10. Lagunju, I.A. & S.I. Omokhodion. 2003. Childhood heart failure in Ibadan. West Afr. J. Med. 22: 42–45.
11. Adekanbi, A.F., T.A. Ogunlesi, A.O. Olowu, et al. 2007. Current trends in the prevalence and aetiology of childhood congestive cardiac failure in Sagamu. J. Trop. Pediatr. 53: 103–106.
12. Omokhodion, S.I. & A.I. Lagunju. 2005. Childhood heart failure in Ibadan. West Afr. J. Med. 24: 325–328.
13. Tang, C.M., J.C. Wells, M. Rolfe, et al. 1989. Outbreak of beriberi in the Gambia. Lancet 2: 206–207.
14. Ahoua, L., W. Etienne, F. Fermon, et al. 2007. Outbreak of beriberi in a prison in Cote-d’Ivoire. Food Nutr. Bull. 28: 283–290.
15. deMontmollin, D., J. Macphail, J. McMahon, et al. 2002. Outbreak of beriberi in a prison in West Africa. Trop. Doct. 32: 234–236.
16. Watson, J.T., H. ElBushra, E.J. Lebo, et al. 2011. Outbreak of beriberi among African union troops in Mogadishu, Somalia. PLoS One. 6: e28345.
17. Adamolekun, B., W.E. Adamolekun, A.D. Sonibare, et al. 1994. A double blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of thiamine hydrochloride in a seasonal ataxia in Nigerians. Neurology 44: 549–551.
18. Nishimune, T., Y. Watanabe, H. Okazaki, et al. 2000. Thiamin is decomposed due to Anaphe spp. entomophagy in seasonal ataxia patients in Nigeria. J. Nutr. 130: 1625–1628.
19. Adamolekun, B. 2011. Neurological disorders associated with cassava diet: a review of putative etiological mechanisms. Metab. Brain Dis. 26: 79–85.
20. Monekosso, G.L., W.G. Anan & P.H. Ashby. 1964. Therapeutic effect of vitamin B complex on an ataxic syndrome in western Nigeria. Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 58: 432–436.
21. Tylleskar, T., M. Banea, N. Bikangi, et al. 1991. Epidemiological evidence from Zaire for a dietary etiology of Konzo, an upper motor neurone disease found in Africa. Bull. World Health Organ. 69: 581–589.
22. Plant, G.T., A.T. Mtanda, G.B. Arden, et al. 1997. An epidemic of optic neuropathy in Tanzania: characterization of the visual disorder and associated peripheral neuropathy. J. Neurol. Sci. 145: 127–140.
23. Dalmar, A.A., K.E. Hodson & G.T. Plant. 2011. Epidemic optic neuropathy is evident in the Somalian population. J. Neuroophthalmol. 31: 127–130.
24. Macias-Matos, C., A. Rodriguez-Ojea, N. Chi, et al. 1996. Biochemical evidence of thiamine depletion during the Cuban neuropathic epidemic, 1992–1993. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 64: 347–353.
25. McGready, R., J.A. Simpson, R. Arunjerdja, et al. 2003. Delayed visual maturation in Karen refugee infants. Ann. Trop. Pediatr. 23: 193–204.
26. Fattal-Valevski, A., A. Bloch-Mimouni, S. Kivity, et al. 2009. Epilepsy in children with infantile thiamine deficiency. Neurology 73: 828–833.
27. Boivin, M.J., D. Okitundu, G. Makila-Mabe Bukomo, et al. 2013. Neuropsychological effects of Konzo: a neuromotor disease associated with poorly processed cassava. Pediatrics 131: 1231–1239.
28. Hiffler, L., B. Rakotoambinini, N. Lafferty, et al. 2016. Thiamine deficiency in tropical pediatrics: new insights into a neglected but vital metabolic challenge. Front. Nutr. 3: 16.