title: Increased serum vitamin A and E levels after lung transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adult cystic fibrosis (CF) patients experience significant increases in serum vitamin A and E levels after lung transplantation. It is unclear whether this finding is specific to the CF population or inherent to the lung transplantation process.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objectives of this study were to assess pre- and postlung transplantation serum vitamin A and E levels in subjects with end-stage lung disease secondary to all causes. The study population consisted of adults who received a lung transplant at the Toronto Lung Transplant Program between 2004 and 2009. The mean change in serum vitamin A and E levels pre- and postlung transplant was evaluated using a paired t test, while differences in vitamin A and E levels between CF and non-CF subjects were determined using a Student's t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two CF and 21 non-CF subjects who underwent lung transplantation were included in the study. Mean serum vitamin A and vitamin E levels increased significantly after transplant, from 1.2 to 3.5 μmol/L (P<0.0001) and from 21.9 to 33.2 μmol/L (P<0.0001), respectively. The proportion of individuals with serum levels above the upper limit of normal increased from 7.6% to 88.7% (P<0.0001) and from 11.3% to 24.5% (P=0.02) for vitamin A and vitamin E, respectively. The dosage of vitamin supplementation did not increase after transplant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant increases in serum vitamin A and E levels were seen in both CF and non-CF subjects after lung transplantation. Further research is needed to understand the cause and clinical implications of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Adult CF Program, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Terence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brotherwood
authors.forename: Ronalee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: Zul
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Verjee
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tullis
authors.forename: Shaf
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keshavjee
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaparro
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stephenson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D012307:Risk Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E