Abstract
Thiamine metabolism in 53 cases of thyrotoxicosis was studied before and after operation. Blood thiamine level of the patients was low before operation notwithstanding the urinary thiamine excretion was normal or rather high. It recovered to normal range after operation. Thiamine tolerance test by 10 mg of thiamine intramuscular administration showed a significant elevation of blood thiamine level in the esterified form. A significant correlation between blood thiamine level and basal metabolic rate or protein-bound iodine was observed. Thyrotoxic myopathy was found in about 80 percent of 214 cases of thyrotoxicosis. A subcutaneous injection of 10 mg of thiamine did not improve their myopathy or beriberi-like state. These results show that in thyrotoxicosis the thiamine deficiency or disturbance of phosphorylation of thiamine does not always follow.
