title: Vitamin E deficiency with normal serum vitamin E concentrations in children with chronic cholestasis.
abstract: We studied serum vitamin E levels and the ratio of serum vitamin E to serum lipid levels in 11 children with chronic cholestasis complicated by vitamin E deficiency, as defined by characteristic neurologic signs or sural-nerve histopathology in addition to impaired intestinal absorption of vitamin E. Eight of the children had low levels of serum vitamin E, as well as low ratios of serum vitamin E to total lipids and to cholesterol. However, three patients had normal serum vitamin E levels but low ratios of serum vitamin E to total lipids (two of the three had normal ratios of vitamin E to cholesterol). In four patients who were not vitamin E-deficient, all three values were normal. We conclude that vitamin E deficiency may exist in a child with a normal serum vitamin E concentration and that the ratio of serum vitamin E to total serum lipids is the most reliable biochemical index of vitamin E status during chronic childhood cholestasis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014810:Vitamin E; D002784:Cholesterol