Lower Plasma Levels Of Vitamin Research Articles

Ascorbic Acid and Alpha Tocopherol Antioxidant Status of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients seen in Lagos

This study was carried out with the aim of assessing the plasma status of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol in Nigerian type 2 diabetes mellitus patients It was a cross sectional study, made up of 70 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 40 healthy controls. The plasma levels of vitamins C and E were measured, so also were the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C). Results showed significantly lower plasma levels of vitamin C and vitamin E in the patients, compared with the controls. The correlation studies between vitamins C and E on the one hand, versus (FPG) and HbA1c on the other hand were not contributory.The conclusion from this study, is that, there is a reduction in plasma levels of anti-oxidant vitamins C and E in type 2 DM but this does not have any particular relationship with the levels of FPG or HbA1C. type 2 Dm, ascorbic Acid, alpha tocopherol antioxidant status.

Low vitamin B(6) plasma levels, a risk factor for thrombosis, in inflammatory bowel disease: role of inflammation and correlation with acute phase reactants.

Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for thrombosis and vitamin deficiencies. Low plasma levels of vitamin B(6) are an independent risk factor for thrombosis and may cause hyperhomocysteinemia, another recognized risk factor for thrombosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate vitamin B(6) plasma levels in IBD patients. We studied 61 IBD patients: 32 with Crohn's disease and 29 with ulcerative colitis. For each patient, three sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were studied. Median vitamin B(6) levels were significantly lower in IBD patients (22.0 pmol/L, range 3.6-231.0) than in controls (31.1 pmol/L, 3.7-363.4; p < 0.01). In all, 13.1% IBD patients and 5.5% controls had plasma vitamin B(6) levels lower than the 5th percentile of distribution in normal controls (p < 0.05). Low vitamin B(6) levels were significantly more frequent in patients with active disease than in patients with quiescent disease (seven of 26, 26.9%, vs one of 35, 2.9%; p < 0.001). Moreover, patients with active disease had significantly lower median vitamin B(6) levels (13.4 pmol/L, range 3.6-124.0) than patients in a quiescent phase (27.0 pmol/L, 7.8-231.0; p < 0.001). Low vitamin B(6) levels were significantly correlated with serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (r = -0.36, 95% CI = -0.59 to -0.09, p < 0.01) and alpha(1)-acid-glycoprotein (r = -0.37, 95% CI = -0.59 to -0.10, p < 0.01). Hyperhomocysteinemia was more frequent in patients with low vitamin B(6) levels (three of eight, 37.5%) than in patients with normal levels (nine of 53, 17.0%; p = 0.18). There was no statistically significant correlation between vitamin B(6) and homocysteine plasma levels (r = -0.13, 95% CI = -0.37 to +0.14, p = 0.33). Low vitamin B(6) plasma levels, an independent risk factor for thrombosis, are frequent in patients with IBD, especially those with active disease.

Low vitamin B 6 plasma levels, a risk factor for thrombosis, in inflammatory bowel disease: role of inflammation and correlation with acute phase reactants

Objectives Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk for thrombosis and vitamin deficiencies. Low plasma levels of vitamin B 6 are an independent risk factor for thrombosis and may cause hyperhomocysteinemia, another recognized risk factor for thrombosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate vitamin B 6 plasma levels in IBD patients. Methods We studied 61 IBD patients: 32 with Crohn’s disease and 29 with ulcerative colitis. For each patient, three sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were studied. Results Median vitamin B 6 levels were significantly lower in IBD patients (22.0 pmol/L, range 3.6–231.0) than in controls (31.1 pmol/L, 3.7–363.4; p < 0.01). In all, 13.1% IBD patients and 5.5% controls had plasma vitamin B 6 levels lower than the 5th percentile of distribution in normal controls ( p < 0.05). Low vitamin B 6 levels were significantly more frequent in patients with active disease than in patients with quiescent disease (seven of 26, 26.9%, vs one of 35, 2.9%; p < 0.001). Moreover, patients with active disease had significantly lower median vitamin B 6 levels (13.4 pmol/L, range 3.6–124.0) than patients in a quiescent phase (27.0 pmol/L, 7.8–231.0; p < 0.001). Low vitamin B 6 levels were significantly correlated with serum concentrations of C-reactive protein ( r = −0.36, 95% CI = −0.59 to −0.09, p < 0.01) and α 1-acid-glycoprotein ( r = −0.37, 95% CI = −0.59 to −0.10, p < 0.01). Hyperhomocysteinemia was more frequent in patients with low vitamin B 6 levels (three of eight, 37.5%) than in patients with normal levels (nine of 53, 17.0%; p = 0.18). There was no statistically significant correlation between vitamin B 6 and homocysteine plasma levels ( r = −0.13, 95% CI = −0.37 to +0.14, p = 0.33). Conclusions Low vitamin B 6 plasma levels, an independent risk factor for thrombosis, are frequent in patients with IBD, especially those with active disease.

Antioxidant effect of β‐carotene in cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis: clinical and laboratory parameters of a pilot study

The carotenoids are potent antioxidants with the ability to quench singlet oxygen and other toxic oxygen species. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the protective effect of β‐carotene on oxidant system in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and in patients with bronchiectasis (BE) caused by a reason other than CF. Eighteen children with CF and 15 children with BE followed in the Pediatric Chest Disease Unit of Hacettepe University, and 15 healthy children participated in the study. Compared with the controls, significantly lower plasma levels of β‐carotene were found in the CF group and significantly lower plasma levels of vitamin E in the CF and BE groups. The standardization of carotenoid levels for total cholesterol did not significantly attenuate these differences. In addition, there were significantly higher levels of malondialdehyde (a marker of lipid peroxidation) and tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in children with CF and in children with BE than in normal subjects. After 6 mo of β‐carotene supplementation, the plasma levels of β‐carotene and vitamin E increased and the plasma levels of TNF‐α and malondialdehyde decreased in both groups. Conclusion: Potent antioxidants, β‐carotene and vitamin E are deficient in patients with CF and in patients with BE, and they are more susceptible to oxidative damage. These patients may benefit from β‐carotene supplementation.

Low plasma levels of vitamin B(6) are independently associated with a heightened risk of deep-vein thrombosis.

Elevated plasma levels of total homocysteine (tHcy) before and after an oral methionine load (PML) are associated with an elevated risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). We investigated whether plasma levels of B vitamins that are involved in Hcy metabolism are associated with an elevated risk of DVT. We compared 397 cases with previous DVT with 585 matched healthy controls. The plasma levels of folate, vitamin B(12), vitamin B(6,), and fasting and PML tHcy were measured. The ORs for DVT associated with high (>95th percentile) fasting levels and PML increases of tHcy were 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.4) and 2.4 (95% CI, 1.5 to 3.9) after adjustment for established risk factors for DVT. Fasting plasma levels and PML increases in tHcy correlated negatively with vitamin levels. The crude OR for folate levels in the lowest quartile compared with the highest was 1.5 (95% CI, 1.1 to 2.1), and that for B(6) levels in the lowest and second quartiles compared with the highest was 1.5 (95% CI, 1.0 to 2.1). However, after adjustment for established risk factors and fasting and PML tHcy, the ORs for B(6) levels in the lowest and second quartiles only remained statistically significant (lowest quartile: OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.8; second quartile, OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.9). High fasting and PML tHcy and low vitamin B(6) plasma levels are associated with an elevated risk for DVT independently of established risk factors for DVT. The association of low vitamin B(6) levels with the risk for DVT is independent of fasting and PML tHcy levels.

Relationship between acute diarrhoea and low plasma levels of vitamin A and retinol binding protein.

The objective of this study was to assess vitamin A status and association between acute diarrhoea and plasma levels of vitamin A through cross-sectional comparison in children. Plasma vitamin A was measured by colorimetric method of Neeld & Pearson and RBP by radial immunodiffusion technique. Seventy eight children (aged 18-119 months), 26 with current history of diarrhoea and 52 children as controls (outpatient from the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital in metropolitan area of São Paulo City, Brazil) were studied. Children with history of diarrhoea showed significant low levels (mean +/- s.e.) as compared to controls, vitamin A (15.87 +/- 1.4 micrograms/dl vs. 21.14 +/- 1.15 micrograms/dl, p < 0.007) and RBP (1.70 +/- 0.2 mg/dl vs. 2.52 +/- 0.11 mg/dl). Multivariate logistic regression adjusted by sex, age, nutritional status and mother education revealed association between diarrhoea and inadequate levels of vitamin A and RBP.

Vitamin c status and undiagnosed angina.

Vitamin C has been suggested to be protective for coronary heart disease but the evidence from epidemiological studies is inconclusive and most studies have been conducted in men. We examined the cross-sectional relationship between vitamin C status and previously undiagnosed angina in women. Women aged 45-74 years were recruited from general practices. They completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire and attended for a health check and a blood test. Non-fasting plasma vitamin C was used to define vitamin status and a self-completed Rose angina questionnaire was used to identify cases. Forty-two women with previously undiagnosed angina (cases) were compared with 877 women with no reported angina (controls). The mean plasma vitamin C was 50.2 mumol/l in cases and 58.3 mumol/l in controls. The age-adjusted odds ratio for a 50 mumol/l increase in plasma vitamin C was 0.34 (95% confidence interval 0.15-0.79). The odds ratio was unaltered after adjustment for body mass index, smoking and established coronary risk factors, and after stratification by smoking, vitamin supplementation and hormone replacement. This cross-sectional analysis showed an association in women between lower plasma levels of vitamin C and previously undiagnosed angina. Although we are unable to exclude the possibility that symptomatic prevalent disease modifies plasma vitamin C levels, these data are consistent with a protective effect of vitamin C for coronary heart disease. This relationship requires confirmation in further prospective studies and trials of vitamin C supplementation.

Decreased methionine adenosyltransferase activity in erythrocytes of patients with dementia disorders

ATP:l-methionine S-adenosyltransferase (EC 2.5.1.6, MAT) activity was analyzed in erythrocytes from nine patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease (Pro.AD), four with possible Alzheimer's disease (Pos.AD), three with mild cognitive dysfunction (MCD) and two with dementia of vascular origin (VD), and 10 age-matched control subjects. Significantly lower kinetic parameters ( V max and K m towards methionine) for MAT were observed in all the dementia cases. In the subgroup of Pro.AD patients who also had low plasma levels of vitamin B 12 (B 12), the reduction in MAT K m was significantly correlated with an increase in the serum levels of homocysteine, while no such correlation was observed in all the other dementia groups. Treatment for 6 months of this subgroup of Pro.AD patients with B 12 (1 mg × 7 days + 1 mg/week, i.m.), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM, 200 mg twice daily p.o.) and folate (2.5 mg every 2 days, p.o.) caused a significant decrease in homocysteine in parallel with a significant increase in K m for MAT. These findings support the hypothesis that aberrations in the B 12 dependent transmethylation reactions might be involved in the pathogenesis of dementia, and suggest that the evaluation of erythrocyte MAT activity may be a useful marker for the detection of such an aberration.

Poor plasma status of carotene and vitamin C is associated with higher mortality from ischemic heart disease and stroke: Basel Prospective Study.

Previous cross-cultural comparisons of the mortality from ischemic heart disease in European communities with associated plasma levels of essential antioxidants have revealed strong inverse correlations for vitamin E and relatively weak correlations for other antioxidants. Similarly, in a case-control study in Edinburgh low plasma levels of vitamin E were significantly associated with an increased risk of previously undiagnosed angina pectoris whereas low levels of other essential antioxidants lacked statistical significance. The current Basel Prospective Study is particularly well suited to elucidate the impact of antioxidants other than vitamin E. In this population (which was recently evaluated regarding cancer mortality) the plasma levels of vitamins E and A are exceptionally high and above the presumed threshold level of risk for ischemic heart disease. The present 12-year follow-up of cardiovascular mortality in this study reveals a significantly increased relative risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke at initially low plasma levels of carotene (< 0.23 mumol/l) and/or vitamin C (< 22.7 mumol/l), independently of vitamin E and of the classical cardiovascular risk factors. Low levels of both carotene and vitamin C increase the risk further, in the case of stroke even with significance for overmultiplicative interaction. In conclusion, in cardiovascular disease independent inverse correlations may exist for every major essential antioxidant although the latter can also interact synergistically. Therefore future intervention trials of antioxidants in the prevention of ischemic heart disease should primarily test the simultaneous optimization of the status of all principal essential antioxidants.

Nutritional status and growth in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

The specific cause of short stature in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is unknown. One hypothesis links altered growth to inadequate dietary intake. In this study, nutritional status was assessed in 34 children with JRA (8 with systemic JRA, 14 with polyarticular JRA, and 12 with pauciarticular JRA) and 9 healthy controls using 3-day diet records, anthropometries, and biochemical analyses. Differences in growth were found among the three types of JRA. One third of all subjects were at or below the 10th percentile in height for age (these being predominantly among the sytemic and polyarticular groups). With few exceptions, the mean dietary intake for calories and essential nutrients was found to be adequate for each of the three groups. However, more than half of those with systemic JRA reportedly consumed less than the recommended caloric intake for their age and weight. No significant correlations were found linking dietary intake to growth percentiles in any of the groups studied. Biochemical abnormalities were found among the systemic and polyarticular groups. These abnormalities included low plasma levels of vitamins A and C, proteins (albumin, prealbumin, and retinol binding protein) and zinc; and increased levels of copper and glutathione peroxidase activity. Plasma selenium and vitamin E levels were unchanged. The discrepancy between intake and certain circulating nutrient levels may reflect alterations in the requirements, absorption, or use of these nutrients in the presence of chronic inflammation.

Neutrophil functions in chronic cholestasis with vitamin A and E deficiencies

Neutrophil functions of twenty children with chronic cholestasis and either normal or low plasma levels of vitamin A and/or E were investigated. Locomotion as measured by the under-agarose technique with formyl-methionylleucyl-phenylalanine or zymosan- activated serum as chemoattractants showed the following results. Random locomotion was unaffected in all patients. By contrast, locomotion induced by either of the two chemoattractants was decreased proportionally to the plasma level of vitamin E (r=0.75; p<0.01). Other neutrophil functions such as ingestion, nitroblue tetrazolium reduction and chemiluminescence were not altered in patients with vitamin E deficiency or in patients with normal plasma levels of vitamin E. Bilirubinemia and vitamin A deficiency were not related to an alteration in any neutrophil function in the children with chronic cholestasis. Following correction of the vitamin E deficiency, neutrophils chemotaxis returned normal.

Low plasma levels of vitamin A and E during weight reduction.

Low plasma levels of vitamin A and E during weight reduction.

Investigations on the nutritional status of advanced breast cancer patients. The influence of long-term treatment with megestrol acetate or tamoxifen.

The nutritional status of three groups of postmenopausal women (age 41-80 yrs) with advanced breast cancer was investigated with special reference to vitamin B6. The interference of hormonal treatment was studied with respect to the progestin megestrol acetate (Group MA, n = 14) and the antiestrogen tamoxifen (Group TAM, n = 15) compared with untreated patients (Group U, n = 11). Healthy postmenopausal women served as controls (Group C, n = 16). Nutritional status was judged from body mass index (BMI), vitamin and trace element status, hematology, and clinico-chemical parameters. Intake of nutrients was calculated from a food record. Hormonal status was studied by analysis of LH, FSH, and prolactin in plasma and of steroids and catecholamines and their metabolites in 24-hour urine. Compared with values for Group C, nutrient intake, hematology, clinico-chemical parameters, and 24-hour urinary excretion of catecholamines and their metabolites of patient groups (U, TAM, and MA) were not significantly different. The BMI of patients was significantly higher (by about 10%; 60% showed an overweight) than that of controls. With respect to fat-soluble vitamin status, significantly lower plasma levels of vitamin A (at least 40% lower, with deficient levels in more than 50% of the patients), D (40% lower), and E (20% lower) were found for Group U. However, water-soluble vitamin status of the four groups was fairly similar. A significantly higher excretion of xanthurenic acid in 24-hour urine, after an oral tryptophan load, was observed for Groups TAM and MA. This is most probably the result of hormonal treatment without affecting vitamin B6 status. Small, but significant, differences between groups were found for trace element status, especially with respect to lower plasma selenium of Group U (25% lower). LH, FSH, and prolactin in plasma and excretion of steroids in 24-hour urine showed levels that could be expected for controls and for untreated and hormonally treated patients. We concluded that the nutritional status of all patients is reasonably adequate. Hormonal treatment did not influence vitamin B6 status, although levels of vitamins A, D, and E and of selenium seem to be elevated.

Vitamin E deficiency and seizures in animals and man.

Study of 100 children with grand mal convulsive disorders and 100 medically healthy children of matching age showed significantly lower plasma levels of vitamin E in the former (means 632.2 +/- 17.3 and 822.5 +/- 21.8 micrograms/dl respectively; p less than 0.001). This finding accords with the ability to prevent seizures in rodents by giving alpha-tocopherol before exposing them to a convulsion-inducing environment.

METABOLIC STUDIES IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. II. HEPATIC DYSFUNCTION

Excerpt In a previous communication1it was demonstrated that about 85 per cent of patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract had abnormally low plasma levels of vitamin A. In the majority o...

Metabolic Studies in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer. III. The Hepatic Concentrations of Vitamin A.

ConclusionsThe low plasma levels of vitamin A of patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract probably are not due to a decreased capacity of the livers of those patients to store the vitamin.