Clinical uses and abuses of vitamin E in children.
The major benefits arising from elevated dosages of vitamin E have been the relief of symptoms of vitamin E deficiency in humans with abetalipoproteinemia and chronic cholestasis. In addition, supplements of vitamin E prevent the isolated vitamin E deficiency that has recently been associated with spinocerebellar symptoms. In keeping with the view that newborn infants, and especially premature infants, suffer from vitamin E deficiency, elevated dosages of vitamin E have been administered to prevent the anemia of premature infants, retrolental fibroplasia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and intraventricular hemorrhage. However, the results have been conflicting. Furthermore, some infants treated with vitamin E die unexpectedly. The life-threatening hazard of such treatments has been attributed mainly to polysorbates that are used as detergents in preparations of vitamin E for intravenous use rather than to vitamin E itself. The possibility that vitamin E, in its action as an antioxidant, inhibits the generation of superoxide anion in leukocytes is examined in this paper.
Mino
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki, Japan.
D002648:Child; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013481:Superoxides; D014810:Vitamin E