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The activation of red blood cell transketolase in groups of patients especially at risk from thiamin deficiency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Marina D. Jeyasingham ,
Oliver E. Pratt ,
Alistair Burns ,
George K. Shaw ,
Allan D. Thomson  and
Andrew Marsh
Marina D. Jeyasingham
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley and Greenwich District Hospitals, London and Bexley Hospital, Kent
Oliver E. Pratt*
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley and Greenwich District Hospitals, London and Bexley Hospital, Kent
Alistair Burns
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley and Greenwich District Hospitals, London and Bexley Hospital, Kent
George K. Shaw
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley and Greenwich District Hospitals, London and Bexley Hospital, Kent
Allan D. Thomson
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley and Greenwich District Hospitals, London and Bexley Hospital, Kent
Andrew Marsh
Affiliation:
Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley and Greenwich District Hospitals, London and Bexley Hospital, Kent
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr O. E. Pratt, Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF.
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Synopsis

Erythrocyte transketolase activation by thiamin diphosphate has been studied in elderly patients with moderate or severe chronic dementia, acute alcoholic admissions and chronic alcoholics with evidence of brain damage, mostly of the Wernicke–Korsakoff type. Significantly more patients in each group than controls showed abnormal activation of transketolase, not only by 0·3 mM thiamin diphosphate (TDP) but also in further activation by increase to 3 mM. This indicated the presence in a proportion of the alcoholic and the demented patients of an abnormal enzyme variant, similar to that previously found in vitro. The modified transketolase activation test may warn not only of marginal thiamin deficiency but also independently, of susceptibility to brain damage in patients at risk.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , May 1987 , pp. 311 - 318
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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