Increased Serum Vitamin A and E Levels After Lung Transplantation

Abstract

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. 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. 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. 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.