Erythrocyte transketolase activity in uremia.

We performed a study concerning the activity of erythrocyte transketolase and thiamine metabolism in 73 uremic patients with or without neuropathy and 67 normal control subjects. Although the total vitamin B1 level in whole blood was high in the uremic patients, the transketolase activity in the hemolysate and the thiamine pyrophosphate effect on it were lower than those of normal subjects. The values of the transketolase activity of the two groups were statistically correlated with the levels of the thiamine pyrophosphate effect and the vitamin B1 content of the blood. Inhibition of transketolase activity was apparent in the uremic patients. However, this inhibition did not seem to be the only cause for the development of uremic neuropathy since no significant difference in these activities was observed among uremic patients with and without neuropathy. Moreover, a direct correlation could not be confirmed between transketolase activity and motor nerve conduction velocity.

Blood vitamin B1, transketolase and thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) effect in beriberi patients, with studies employing discriminant analysis.

In recent years, many cases of beriberi have been reported throughout Japan. One may assume that a great many healthy subjects suffer from a subclinical thiamine deficiency. The present study was carried out in order to examine thiamine status in 21 beriberi patients and 674 apparently normal subjects. In the beriberi patients the total vitamin B1 in whole blood and transketolase activity in the hemolysate were significantly lower, and the thiamine pyrophosphate effect was significantly higher, compared to normal subjects. However, these two groups could not be clearly separated by these biochemical parameters because of significant overlap. On analyzing the results of these biochemical parameters by discriminant analysis, beriberi could be diagnosed with an accuracy of 87,7%. Thus, vitamin B1 levels in blood, transketolase activity and the thiamine pyrophosphate effect in the hemolysate are useful biochemical indices for the diagnosis of beriberi. Above all, the thiamine pyrophosphate effect proved to be the most effective parameter in distinguishing the beriberi group from normal subjects.