fursultiamin and Thiamine-Deficiency

In a Pilot Study, the clinical and biochemical effects of thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD) on autistic spectrum children were investigated.. Ten children were studied. Diagnosis was confirmed through the use of form E2, a computer assessed symptom score. For practical reasons, TTFD was administered twice daily for two months in the form of rectal suppositories, each containing 50 mg of TTFD. Symptomatic responses were determined through the use of the computer assessed Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) forms. The erythrocyte transketolase (TKA) and thiamine pyrophosphate effect (TPPE), were measured at outset and on completion of the study to document intracellular thiamine deficiency. Urines from patients were examined at outset, after 30 days and after 60 days of treatment and the concentrations of SH-reactive metals, total protein, sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate and thiocyanate were determined. The concentrations of metals in hair were also determined.. At the beginning of the study thiamine deficiency was observed in 3 out of the 10 patients. Out of 10 patients, 6 had initial urine samples containing arsenic in greater concentration than healthy controls. Traces of mercury were seen in urines from all of these autistic children. Following administration of TTFD an increase in cadmium was seen in 2 children and in lead in one child. Nickel was increased in the urine of one patient during treatment. Sulfur metabolites in urine did not differ from those measured in healthy children.. Thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide appears to have a beneficial clinical effect on some autistic children, since 8 of the 10 children improved clinically. We obtained evidence of an association of this increasingly occurring disease with presence of urinary SH-reactive metals, arsenic in particular.

Topics: Arsenic; Autistic Disorder; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Fursultiamin; Hair; Humans; Lead; Male; Pilot Projects; Severity of Illness Index; Thiamine Deficiency

An open trial with thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulphide (TTFD) was carried out on 44 patients with nutritional polyneuropathy who were admitted to the Neurological Department, Dr. Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, Thirty-four patients showed improvement of their motor functions (P less than 0.01) with slight restoration of sensory function and reflexes (P less than 0.1). Of the 18 patients who were re-examined electrophysiologically 3 months later, 6 showed remarkable improvements. No side-effects were observed during TTFD treatment. It seemed that nutritional polyneuropathy in our low socio-economic patients was mostly caused by thiamine deficiency.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Clinical Trials as Topic; Developing Countries; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fursultiamin; Humans; Indonesia; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Neural Conduction; Neurologic Examination; Polyneuropathies; Pyrimidines; Thiamine Deficiency

A 48-year-old man was brought to our emergency room with acute abdominal pain and systemic edema, indicating acute circulatory failure with lactic acidosis. Furosemide treatment paradoxically worsened the systemic edema and induced confusion. He had no drinking history but hardly ate legumes or meats containing thiamine. Administration of fursultiamine dramatically improved the symptoms and subsequently caused pulmonary edema. Thiamine deficiency may occur in nondrinkers with an unbalanced diet. In this condition, diuretic therapy can worsen the symptoms before thiamine supplementation by promoting the flushing of water-soluble vitamins but is needed for the management of secondary pulmonary edema after thiamine replenishment.

Topics: Beriberi; Fursultiamin; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pulmonary Edema; Thiamine; Thiamine Deficiency; Treatment Outcome; Vitamin B Complex

Tenderness in the limb muscles has been reported anecdotally in patients with beriberi neuropathy, but clinical effects of thiamine deficiency on skeletal muscle have received little attention.. To describe a patient with thiamine deficiency who manifested myopathic symptoms and responded well to thiamine supplementation.. A 26-year-old woman with neuropathy and heart failure associated with thiamine deficiency also complained of myalgia and weakness, most troublesome in the proximal portions of the limbs.. Serum creatine kinase, myoglobin, and aldolase concentrations were abnormally elevated. Magnetic resonance imaging of lower limb muscles demonstrated areas of high signal intensity in T2-weighted images and showed Gd-DTPA enhancement. A biopsy specimen from the quadriceps muscle showed myopathic changes without neurogenic changes. Abnormalities improved well with thiamine administration.. Myopathy may occur in patients with thiamine deficiency.

Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; Cardiomegaly; Creatine Kinase; Diet; Edema; Female; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase; Fursultiamin; Humans; Hypesthesia; Leg; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Muscle Weakness; Myoglobin; Oryza; Pain; Thiamine; Thiamine Deficiency

Peripheral polyneuropathy due to vitamin B1 deficiency was encountered after total gastrectomy for gastric signet cell carcinoma in a patient with a history of breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer. She had greatly reduced her intake of animal foods, believing that would be effective for the prevention of re-occurrence of cancer. Her daily intake of vitamin B1 was less than half of the usual daily requirement. Patients with malignancy tend to adopt unusual diets, and proper advice about food intake is important for such patients, especially those with gastrectomy.

Topics: Animals; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell; Diet; Female; Fursultiamin; Gastrectomy; Humans; Middle Aged; Nutritional Requirements; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Stomach Neoplasms; Thiamine Deficiency; Vitamin B Complex