• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 1999

The prevalence of alcoholism among elderly population is reported to be high in rural areas in Korea. Chronic abuse of alcohol can lead to the development of vitamin B deficiency through inadequate intake, altered absorption and metabolism, and increased excretion. The present study was conducted to assess vitamin B1 and B2 status in seventeen alcohol dependent subjects who do not exhibit any clinical neurological symptoms. Vitamin B1 and B2 nutritional states were determined enzymatically by measurement of transketolase and glutathione reductase activities in erythrocytes, respectively. And dietary intakes of nutrients were determined by a 24-hr recall method. The mean percent activation of erythrocyte transketolase was significantly higher in alcoholics than in alcoholics than in control (p<0.05). The proportion of subjects with a low and borderline status of vitamin B1, was significantly higher in alcoholics than in control (p<0.05). The mean percent activation of erythrocyte glutathione reductase was not different between alcoholics and control. And the proportion of subjects with low and borderline status of Vitamin B2, was higher in alcoholics than in control (p<0.1). Vitamin B1 and B2 status were significantly decreased in alcoholics who were smoking cigarettes compared to non-smoking and non-alcoholic subjects(p<0.05). Whether vitamin supplementation improves the vitamin status of alcohol dependent subjects remains to be researched.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.24-32
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• 1977

It was attempted in this study to assess the vitamin $B_{1},\;B_{2}$, and $B_6$ status in tissue by determination of erythrocyte transketolase (TK), glutathione reductase (GR), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, and their activation by their respective coenzymes, thiamine pyrophosphate, flavin-adenine dinucleotide, and pyridoxal-5-phosphate. The activities of erythrocyte enzymes were stable for more than 30 days when erythrocyte had been stored at $-20^{\circ}C$ and affirmed that the enzyme activities were more stable in the case of deep frozen sotrage of erythrocytes rather than hemolysates. The assay procedures involving ultraviolet kinetic analysis with continuous monitoring for each of enzymes have good within-batch and between-batch precisions and will be avalable in the routine laboratories for the nutritional and clinical surveys. Activity coefficient of TK, GR, and AST was studied in healthy medical students (fifteen men and twelve women, between 21 and 30 years old) on an unrestricted diet. The mean activity coefficient of TK, GR, and AST were 1.18, 1.35, and 2.01 for men, and 1.14, 1.33, and 1.83 for women, respectively. And the upper limit of normal (mean+2SD) were 1.52, 1.69, and 2.61 for men, and 1.50, 1.61, and 2.37 for women, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1244-1252
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• 1998

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the nutritional status of vitamin and minerals in the patients with alcoholic liver disease and to obtain the materials for nutritional education for alcoholics. The subjects consist of 80 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis(ALC) and 12 patients with alcoholic fatty liver(AFL). The control group included 57 alcoholics without liver disease(A), 32 patients with viral liver cirrhosis(VLC) and 194 normal men(NL). Biochemical evaluation of nutritional status was investigated by the analysis of blood samples. The frequency of vitamin B1 deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups as indicated by the erythrocyte transketolase activity coefficient were 46.0%, 66.7% and 57.9% respectively. The frequency of vitamin B2 deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups as indicated by the erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient were 9.8%, 8.3% and 38.6% respectively. Vitamin A deficiency was not detected in the alcoholic subjects. The frequency of vi tamin E deficiency in ALC, AFL and A were 96.3%, 66.7% and 86.0% respectively. The levels of plasma lipid peroxidation products were significantly higher in the alcoholic subjects than in the normal subjects. The frequency of subjects below normal range of hemoglobin were 85.0% in ALC, 50.0% in AFL and 31.6% in A. The frequency of copper deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups were 48.4%, 16.7% and 17.5% respectively. The frequency of zinc deficiency in the ALC, AFL and A groups were 83.8%, 41.7% and 66.7% respectively. Overall, the vitamin and minerals status of the alcoholic subjects in this study was evaluated to be very poor on the basis of biochemical assessments. The results suggest that alcohol abuse and poor dietary intake could cause malnutrition and may be important risk factors in causing alcoholic liver disease in alcoholics. In addition, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, Cu, Fe and antioxidant supplementation may be effective in nutritional therapy for chronic alcoholics.