THE THIAMIN CONTENT OF HUMAN BLOOD AND URINE AS DETERMINED BY THE FERMENTATION METHOD 1

Abstract

The "ultramicron" fermentation method of Atkin et al was found applicable to human blood and urine ; 86 blood thiamin detns. on 45 normal subjects gave an avg. of 5.39 7 % (3.1 to 9.2). The total 24-hr. urinary excretion of thiamin and 2-methyl-5-hydroxy-methyl-6-aminopyrimidine varied markedly from day to day in several subjects. In normal subjects on a fairly constant intake no correlation was found between fluctuations in urinary excretion and dietary intake of thiamin, vit. calorie ratio, or blood thiamin values. No normal subject, ingesting from 898 to 1,493 7 of thiamin daily, excreted less than 27.8% of his intake. A definite association was found between acute "alcoholic" polyneuropathy and low blood thiamin values. Blood thiamin values below 3.1 7 % were found in inebriates with fatty and cirrhotic livers, encephalopathic states, pellagra, and Korsakoff psychosis only when polyneuropathy was also present. This close association of low blood thiamin with polyneuropathy suggests that a blood thiamin value below 3.0 7 %, by the fermentation method, may be indicative of a thiamin deficiency state.