title: Plasma levels of vitamin E and carotenoids are decreased in patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oxidative stress is suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The present study was aimed to compare plasma levels of antioxidants in patients suffering from NASH and healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma levels of the antioxidants α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α-carotene β-carotene were determined in 57 patients with biopsy-proven NASH and 40 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of α-tocopherol (22.4 vs. 26.8 nmol/ ml; p<0.01), lutein (0.19 vs. 0.33 nmol/ml; p<0.0001), zeaxanthin (0.04 vs. 0.08 nmol/ml; p<0.0001), lyco?pene (0.15 vs. 0.42 nmol/ml; p<0.0001), α-carotene (0.03 vs. 0.06 nmol/ml; p<0.005) and β-carotene (0.25 vs. 0.39 nmol/ml; p<0.01) were significantly decreased in NASH patients compared to controls. Age, aminotransferase status (ALT, AST) and BMI were not correlated with the levels of tocopherols or caro?tenoids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the decreased levels supplementation of lipophilic antioxidants might be a rational treatment option for patients with NASH.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Gastroenterologie, Hepatologie und Infektiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. erhardt@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erhardt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sies
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lirussi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Häussinger
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids