Transketolase-TPP-effect in chronic alcoholics with various degrees of liver cirrhosis.

A re-investigation of the use of the transketolase-TPP-effect for the assessment of the thiamine status of chronic alcoholics with various degrees of liver cirrhosis was carried out on 36 alcoholics. The extent of the liver damage in these patients was established by clinical examinations and biochemical tests. Fourteen persons showed no significant hepatic abnormalities, 5 patients had compensated liver cirrhosis, 7 slightly decompensated, and 10 patients suffered from severely decompensated liver cirrhosis. This investigation shows that the transketolase-TPP-effect is also present in patients even with severe liver cirrhosis and that a decrease of the TPP-effect can be observed after oral thiamine administration in these subjects. The TPP-effect of patients with compensated liver cirrhosis was markedly smaller than that of the subjects with slightly or severely decompensated cirrhosis. Accordingly a relationship exists between the TPP-effect and the degree of liver damage. No other correlations however could be established in this respect.