Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (19)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by TYLLESKÄR, T
Right arrow Articles by ROSLING, H
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by TYLLESKÄR, T
Right arrow Articles by ROSLING, H
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1995 Oxford University Press

research-article

Dietary Determinants of a Non-Progressive Spastic Paraparesis (Konzo): A Case-Referent Study in a High Incidence Area of Zaire

T TYLLESKÄR*, M BANEA**, N BIKANGI**, G NAHIMANA**, L-Å PERSSON{dagger} and H ROSLING*

* International Child Health Unit, Department of Pediatrics University Hospital, S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden.
** CEPLANUT, Centre National de Planification de Nutrition Humaine Ministère de la Santé Publique, BP 2429, Kinshasa 1, Zaire.
{dagger} Department of Epidemiology and Public Health Umeâ University, S-901 85 Umeâ, Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Konzo is an upper motor neuron disease in Africa, characterized by an abrupt onset of a permanent but non-progressive spastic paraparesis. It is named after the local designation in the first report from Zaire. Konzo has been attributed to a metabolic insult from the combined effect of high cyanide and low sulphur intake from several weeks of exclusive consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava roots.

METHODS: The association between insufficient soaking of cassava roots and konzo is assessed in a matched case-referent study with multivariate conditional logistic regression including 57 case-referent pairs from a rural high incidence community of Zaire.

RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis short processing of cassava in the form of only 2 nights soaking yielded an odds ratio of 11.0 (95% confidence interval 1.7–73) when controlling for poverty-related factors and diet. We also show a dose-response relationship for insufficient cassava soaking, both unadjusted and adjusted for potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS: This study supports a causal relationship between insufficient processing of bitter cassava and konzo.

Keywords spastic paraparesis, cassava, Africa, protein deficiency, aetiology

Revised 1 February 1995


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
M. D. Andersen, P. K. Busk, I. Svendsen, and B. L. Moller
Cytochromes P-450 from Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Catalyzing the First Steps in the Biosynthesis of the Cyanogenic Glucosides Linamarin and Lotaustralin. CLONING, FUNCTIONAL EXPRESSION IN PICHIA PASTORIS, AND SUBSTRATE SPECIFICITY OF THE ISOLATED RECOMBINANT ENZYMES
J. Biol. Chem., January 21, 2000; 275(3): 1966 - 1975.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.