COMMUNITY NUTRITION 3 (1+2)

Lesson 5 : Biochemical Assessment of Nutritional Status

Biochemical methods for assessing nutritional status of vitamins and minerals

Nutrient	Principal Method	Normal	Deficiency
Vitamin A	S. vitamin A Relative Dose Response test (450-1000 μg retinol) 100 μg /kg dehydroretinol dehydro retinol Vitamin A	30 μ/d	< 20 μg/dl > 20% > 0.06
Vitamin D	S. 25- hydroxy	> 10 ng/ml	< 5 ng/ml
Vitamin E	S. vitamin E/total lipid	> 0.8	-
Vitamin K	Protein induced by vitamin K absence PIVKAS	Absent	Accumula
Thiamine	Urinary thiamine Erythrocyte Transketolase (ETK-AC) Activated	100 μg /24 hr 65 μg/g of creatinine < 1.15	- > 1.25
Riboflavin	Erythrocyte glutathione (EGR - AC)	< 1.2	> 1.4
Niacin	N - methyl 1-2 pyridone - 5 carboxylamide (2-pyridone) and N1 - methyl	1 - 4	< 1.0
Vitamin B6	Urinary excretion of B6 Erythrocyte aspartate transferase (EAspAT - AC)	< 1.7-2.0	< 20 μg/g creatinine
Folic acid	Serum folate RBC folate Formimino glutamic acid	> 6.0 ng/ml > 160 ng/rnl < 20 mg FIGLU in 8 hours after histidine load of 0.26 g/kg body weight	< 3.0 < 140 ng/ml > 100 mg
Vitamin B12	Serum B12	200 – 900 pg/ml	80 p g/ml
Ascorbic acid	P. ascorbic acid levels Leucocyte ascorbic acid	> 0.3 mg/dl > 15 rng/dl	< 0.2 < 8 mg/dl
Iron	Serum ferritin levels Serum iron Serum transferrin Haemoglobin	> 13g/dl (Men) > 12 g/dl(Women)	12 μg/dl < 40 < 0.16
Iodine	Urinary excretion of iodine	> 50 rng/g creatinine
Zinc	P. zinc	84 - 1 04 μ/dl
Copper	S. copper	75 - 125 μg/dl

Source: Bamji Mahtab. S., Biochemical tests for the assessment of nutrition status from (ed) Bamji Mehtab. S et at. Text book of Human Nutriticn, 1998 Oxford & IBH Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.