title: Blood vitamin and trace metal levels in epidermolysis bullosa.
abstract: Plasma or erythrocyte levels of ten nutrients (vitamins A, C, B12 and B6; folate; thiamine; riboflavin; zinc; copper; iron) were assayed in 73 patients with various forms of inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Whereas the mean level for each nutrient was within its normal range, deficient levels were noted in individual EB subsets for selected nutrients. Notable abnormalities included low levels of plasma iron and zinc (in junctional EB and recessive dystrophic EB), vitamin C (primarily in EB simplex), vitamin A (in junctional and recessive dystrophic EB), vitamin B12 (primarily in EB simplex), and vitamin B6 (especially in recessive dystrophic EB). With the exception of low plasma iron and zinc levels in junctional and recessive dystrophic EB, however, only a minority of patients in any of the EB subsets had low levels of most of the other nutrients, and an apparent correlation with malabsorption was possible with only selected nutrients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001361:Avitaminosis / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004820:Epidermolysis Bullosa / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins; D015032:Zinc