[Vitamin B 1 deficiency in chronic alcoholics and its clinical correlation]

50 chronic alcoholics reporting to the medical emergency ward of Basle University Hospital with alcohol-related illness were examined with respect to thiamine nutritional status by means of the transketolase activation test of erythrocytes (ETK). 46% of the chronic alcoholics, compared to only 2% of the control population (1152 healthy adults), had transketolase activation quotients indicating a strong probability of thiamine deficiency (alphaETK greater than 1.25). The most important symptoms associated with the biochemical parameters of thiamine deficiency were: anemia, pathologic liver functions (bilirubin, gamma-globulins), low diastolic blood pressure and Wernicke's encephalopathy. There was a statistically significant correlation (p less than 0.05) between these symptoms and the biochemical parameters for thiamine deficiency. Therefore, when treating chronic alcoholics, these symptoms should direct attention to a possible vitamin B1 deficiency. Since the enzymatic vitamin B1 parameters correlate with the patients' hemoglobin, our results would be consistent with anemia influenced by provision of thiamine.