Abstract
From our previous experience on more than 900 MZ and MS heterozygous alpha-1-antitrypsin deficient infants we know that liver enzymes can be, especially in their first six months, pathologically elevated. The pathogenesis of the liver damage in homo- and heterozygous patients is still not well known and superoxid radicals may be involved in this process. It is established that vitamin E has anti oxidative activity and is together with the superoxide dismutase the main scavenger for toxic waste products of the oxygen. 156 MZ and 146 MS phenotypes were divided in a double blind way in two groups, one with aand one without a daily oral intake of 50 mg vitamin E for six months: at the age of two and four months liver enzymes as AST, ALT, CGT, ALP and bile acids were determined. The following table shows the distribution of abnormal values in both groups at 2 and 4 monthsIn conclusion: Vitamin E seems to be able to reduce in this age group the incidence of a more or less severe liver involvement in heterozygous infants supporting the previously described pathogenetic hypothesis.
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