Erythrocyte transketolase activity in dialysis patients with neuropathy

Erythrocyte transketolase activity (ETKA) has been studied in a group of uremic patients exhibiting neuropathy on clinical grounds and demonstrating decreased motor nerve conduction velocities in the right peroneal nerve. Single or multiple hemodialyses did not affect ETKA in these patients nor did uremic plasma have any inhibitory effect on ETKA in erythrocytes from nonuremic patients. The enzyme activity actually tended to be greater than normal in uremic patients when related to the erythrocyte count. These results indicate that ETKA is unrelated to the peripheral neuropathy found in uremia.