A case of beriberi heart disease which developed in a fifteen year old boy was reported. He started to drink much of alcohol and lived alone with unbalanced eating habit for several months after he graduated from a middle school. The diagnosis of beriberi heart was adequately done by the specified tests with the determination of blood thiamine level and transketolase activity. Thiamine administration resulted in prompt recovery of his cardiac incompetence, and there was also noted marked improvements of his peripheral neuropathy and EEG abnormalities. Thus, cardiac failure caused by thiamine deficiency was properly differentiated from the similar clinical condition due to either idiopathic or alcoholic cardiomyopathies. The possibility that thiamine deficiency may induce some CNS disordeds is discussed.
For the assay of transcobalamin (Tc) I plus III in human serum a simplified method has deen developed which involves either acidification or adsorption by Quso G32. Tc II disappeared when pH of serum was decreased to 1.8 without any change of Tc I and III. Tc II was also adsorbed almost completely by Quso G32 without altering Tc I and III. These two techniques provide a simple and rapid means to determine Tc I plus III, known to be produced by and hence an indirect measure of granulocytes.