The vitamin B1 status among young Egyptian males in relation to infection with parasites.

Erythrocytic transketolase activity and thiamin pyrophosphate effect (TPP%) were used to define the nutritional thiamin status of an age stratified sample of 66 young males with parasitic infection. The results revealed that 6% of the control group were biochemically deficient in vitamin B1 compared with a percentage incidence of 42% among the parasitized subjects. Intestinal infection with Entamoeba histolytica, Hymenolepsis nana or with more than one parasite had the most depleting effect on the tissue thiamin status.