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Correction of vitamin E deficiency in children with chronic cholestasis. II. Effect on gastrointestinal and hepatic function
Author(s) -
Sokol Ronald J.,
Heubi James E.,
McGraw Catherine,
Balistreri William F.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840060607
Subject(s) - cholestasis , medicine , malabsorption , vitamin e deficiency , endocrinology , vitamin , liver function tests , vitamin a deficiency , liver function , gastroenterology , vitamin e , retinol , biology , biochemistry , antioxidant
Although secondary vitamin E deficiency causes a reversible neurologic disorder in children with chronic cholestasis, the effect of this deficiency state on other organ systems is unknown. We studied the effects of vitamin E therapy on selected gastrointestinal and hepatic functions in five children with chronic cholestasis and well‐documented biochemical and neurologic evidence of vitamin E deficiency. After 2 to 3 years of oral or parenteral vitamin E therapy, there was no improvement in fecal fat losses, severity of vitamin E malabsorption (as measured by an oral vitamin E tolerance test) or total serum fatty acid concentrations. Serial analyses of liver function blood tests demonstrated a marked decline in fasting serum cholylglycine concentrations during 18 to 31 months of vitamin E therapy, while other liver function tests showed no consistent changes. We conclude that vitamin E deficiency does not appear to alter intestinal absorption of fat or vitamin E; however, vitamin E deficiency may further impair already compromised hepatic function during pathologic conditions such as cholestasis.