Related Experiment Videos
Age-dependent changes in thiamin concentrations in whole blood and cerebrospinal fluid in infants and children
D T Wyatt1, D Nelson, R E Hillman
1Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.
Insights
Pediatric thiamin levels in whole blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) change significantly during infancy. Age-specific reference ranges are crucial for accurately assessing thiamin status in infants.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Thiamin (vitamin B1) is essential for energy metabolism and neurological function.
- Normative data for thiamin concentrations in pediatric populations, particularly across different biological matrices, are limited.
- Understanding age-related changes in thiamin is vital for diagnosing deficiencies and monitoring nutritional status in infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish pediatric age-specific normative ranges for total, phosphorylated, and nonphosphorylated thiamin.
- To analyze thiamin concentration changes in whole blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) throughout infancy and early childhood.
- To investigate potential ethnic differences in thiamin levels and their correlation with developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of total, phosphorylated, and nonphosphorylated thiamin in whole blood (n=323) and CSF (n=208) samples from pediatric subjects.
- Statistical analysis to determine age-specific reference ranges and identify significant trends.
- Comparison of thiamin levels across different age groups and ethnic backgrounds.
Main Results:
- Whole-blood total thiamin decreased significantly in the first year of life, primarily due to a decline in phosphorylated thiamin.
- CSF total thiamin showed a decline in the first 1.5 years, influenced initially by nonphosphorylated and later by phosphorylated forms.
- Thiamin concentrations were higher in the first few months of life, necessitating age-specific interpretation.
- Ethnic differences in thiamin levels were observed only after pubarche.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric thiamin concentrations in blood and CSF exhibit distinct age-dependent patterns, reflecting infant metabolic and neurological maturation.
- The use of age-specific normative ranges is essential for accurate thiamin status assessment in infants.
- These findings provide critical reference values for clinical practice and research in pediatric nutrition and neurology.
Abstract:
We determined pediatric age-specific normative ranges for total, phosphorylated, and nonphosphorylated thiamin in whole blood (n = 323) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; n = 208). Whole-blood total thiamin decreased from 258 +/- 63 (mean +/- SD; age 0-3 mo group) to 214 +/- 44 nmol/L (age 3-12 mo group) in the first year of life and was stable at 187 +/- 39 nmol/L after 12 mo of age. The overall decline in whole-blood total thiamin was mainly due to a drop in phosphorylated thiamin, the biologically active form. Mean CSF total thiamin decreased from 135 +/- 42 (age 0-9-mo group) to 107 +/- 34 nmol/L (age 9-18-mo group) in the first 1.5 y of life and was stable at 84 +/- 51 nmol/L thereafter. This overall decline was due initially to a drop in nonphosphorylated thiamin and later to a drop in phosphorylated thiamin. The changes in whole blood and CSF occurred independently and probably represent metabolic and neurological maturation of the infant. Whole-blood total and phosphorylated thiamin concentrations were lower in blacks only after pubarche. Age-specific norms should be used for determining the thiamin status in infancy because thiamin concentrations are significantly higher in the first few months of life.