Evaluation of vitamin B1 status of alcoholic subjects in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

Abstract

Given the clinical importance of free thiamine and its esters on the essential human organs, their determination seems necessary to appreciate vitamin B1 status in physiological and pathological states of local populations. The present preliminary study describes a method of analysis of free thiamine and its phosphate esters: thiamine monophosphate and thiamine diphosphate by reverse phase liquid chromatography and fluorimetric detection. Validation tests were applied to verify the reliability of the proposed method. The results indicated that the chromatographic system was suitable for chromatographic analysis of free thiamine and its esters in whole. Thus, the method was applied to whole blood samples of 35 alcoholic patients under alcoholic detoxification cure in Abidjan. The results of the application showed that 100% of the alcoholic

subjects presented a total thiamine concentration under the accepted norm of 20μg.L-1. Before the cure at Day 0, 74,28% of the subjects presented a severe deficiency. After 30 days, all of the subjects still presented a marginal status of vitamin B1. Thiamine supplementation included in the alcoholic detoxification cure seems to improve its status. However, it seems that the latter should be of sufficient duration to ensure the return to an effective normal vitamin B1 status.

Keywords : Vitamin B1, liquid chromatography, whole blood, alcoholic patients, alcoholic detoxification cure,
Abidjan.