Reduced chronic hemolysis during high-dose vitamin E administration in Mediterranean-type glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Abstract

The observation that high-dose oral vitamin E supplementation (800 IU per day) improved red-cell survival in two rare disorders associated with increased red-cell susceptibility to oxidative stress prompted a similar trial in 23 patients with Mediterranean glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Three months of vitamin E administration resulted in decreased chronic hemolysis as evidenced by improved red-cell life span (P less than 0.025), with an improvement in red-cell half-life from 22.9 +/- 0.7 days to 25.1 +/- 0.6 days (mean +/- S.E.M.), increased hemoglobin concentration (P less than 0.001), and decreased reticulocytosis (P less than 0.001) as compared with base-line values. Evaluation after one year of vitamin E administration demonstrated sustained improvement in all these indexes. Controlled clinical trials of vitamin E supplementation may be warranted to examine its efficacy in ameliorating acute hemolytic crises or in reducing morbidity from neonatal jaundice in this relatively common genetic disorder.

• Authors: L Corash, S Spielberg, C Bartsocas, L Boxer, R Steinherz, M Sheetz, M Egan, J Schlessleman, J D Schulman
• Journal: The New England journal of medicine (N Engl J Med) Vol. 303 Issue 8 Pg. 416-20 (Aug 21 1980) ISSN: 0028-4793 [Print] United States
• PMID: 7393270 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Vitamin E

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Erythrocyte Aging (drug effects)
• Female
• Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency (classification, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Greece
• Hemolysis (drug effects)
• Humans
• Male
• Time Factors
• Vitamin E (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)