title: Correction of vitamin E deficiency in children with chronic cholestasis. II. Effect on gastrointestinal and hepatic function.
abstract: 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.
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E