Assessment of cassava toxicity in patients with tropical chronic pancreatitis.
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Date
2011-04
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Abstract
Background and aim: There have been conflicting reports on the role of cassava ingestion in tropical pancreatitis (TCP). In this study we aimed to estimate cyanogens detoxifying enzyme rhodanese, thiocyanate and sulfur containing amino acids in cassava consumer as well as
cassava non-consumer TCP patients and healthy controls and compare the same.
Methods: Eighty-six TCP patients and 90 healthy controls were recruited. Serum rhodanese,
thiocyanate, plasma amino acids, urinary inorganic sulfate/creatinine were measured.
Results: There was significant reduction in serum rhodanese activity in both cassava
consumer- and non-consumer TCP patients as compared to controls but no significant
difference between cassava consumer- and non-consumer TCP patients was observed. Serum
thiocyanate was significantly lower in cassava consumer TCP patients as compared to cassava
consumer controls but not significantly different from cassava non-consumer TCP patients.
Plasma methionine, cysteine and urinary inorganic sulfate / creatinine ratio was significantly
lower in both cassava consumer and non-consumer TCP patients as compared to controls but
were comparable among cassava consumers and non-consumers.
Conclusions: Significant reduction in rhodanese activity with concomitant decrease in sulfur
containing amino acids and antioxidants such as glutathione suggests that TCP patients are
at higher risk of defective detoxification of cyanogens. However there was no difference
between cassava consumers and non-consumers. Low levels of sulfur amino acids may
contribute to the development of pancreatitis.
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Keywords
Cassava, rhodanase, thiocyanate, methionine, cysteine, tropical pancreatitis
Citation
Girish Banavara Narasimhamurthy, Rajesh Gopalakrishna, Vaidyanathan Kannan, Balakrishnan Vallath. Assessment of cassava toxicity in patients with tropical chronic pancreatitis. Tropical Gastroenterology. 2011 Apr-June; 32(2): 112-116.