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Biochemical vitamin E deficiency in chronic pancreatitis

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Summary

In order to study the frequency of biochemical vitamin E deficiency in chronic alcohol-induced pancreatitis, we measured plasma vitamin E and total blood lipids in 44 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 83 control subjects (44 normal controls; 39 Crohn's disease controls). Mean plasma vitamin E and mean ratio vitamin E/total blood lipids, a more sensitive indicator of vitamin E status, were significantly lower in chronic pancreatitis when compared with either control group. A low vitamin E/total lipids ratio was found in 75% of patients with pancreatitis. Within the chronic pancreatitis group, mean plasma vitamin E and the ratio vitamin E to total lipids were significantly lower in those with steatorrhoea (23 patients—pancreatic stea-torrhoea subgroup) than in those without (21 patients—pancreatic non-steatorrhoea subgroup). 91% of the pancreatic steatorrhoea subgroup had a low vitamin E/total lipids ratio. However, patients without pancreatic steahorrhoea also had significantly lower levels of plasma vitamin E and the ratio vitamin E/total lipids when compared to controls. We conclude that biochemical vitamin E deficiency is common in chronic alcohol-induced pancreatitis, particularly in patients with steatorrhoea, and that factors other than fat malabsorption may be responsible for vitamin E deficiency in pancreatic non-steatorrhoea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gastrointestinal Clinic, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

    I. Kalvaria & I. N. Marks

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    I. Kalvaria & I. N. Marks

  3. MRC Metabolic Research Group, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Stellenbosch, P.O. Box 63, 7505, Tygenberg, South Africa

    D. Labadarios, G. S. Shephard & L. Visser

Authors
  1. I. Kalvaria
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  2. D. Labadarios
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  3. G. S. Shephard
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  4. L. Visser
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  5. I. N. Marks
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Kalvaria, I., Labadarios, D., Shephard, G.S. et al. Biochemical vitamin E deficiency in chronic pancreatitis. Int J Pancreatol 1, 119–128 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02788444

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02788444

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