title: beta-Carotene deficiency in cholestatic liver disease of childhood is caused by beta-carotene malabsorption.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  : Depletion of beta-carotene (b-c) has not been extensively studied in children with chronic cholestatic liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  : We assessed b-c serum concentration in 53 children with cholestatic liver disease: 19 patients operated on for biliary atresia, 12 with Alagille syndrome, and 22 with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. To test b-c absorption, 6 children with chronic cholestasis received a load of 10 mg b-c/kg body weight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : We found decreased b-c concentrations in 45 patients. The absorption of b-c was not detectable in 5 of 6 children studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : b-c depletion is a common problem of chronic cholestatic liver disease in childhood that can be attributed to disturbed intestinal absorption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Immunology, Poland. p.socha@czd.pl
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Socha
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skorupa
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pawlowska
authors.forename: Aldona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wierzbicka
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhawan
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jankowska
authors.forename: Ela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karczmarewicz
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kubalska
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lukaszkiewicz
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorenc
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016738:Alagille Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000150:complications*; D002780:Cholestasis, Intrahepatic / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene