Vitamin E deficiency

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Vitamin E deficiency
Specialty Gastroenterology, neurology   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Usual onsetInsidious
CausesMalabsorption
Risk factors Crohn's disease, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, malnutrition
Diagnostic method Serum α-tocopherol titer
TreatmentVitamin E supplementation

Vitamin E deficiency is a rare condition caused by low levels of vitamin E that may result from malabsorption disorders (such as abetalipoproteinemia, cystic fibrosis, or Crohn's disease), or impaired lipid transport. As a potent antioxidant, vitamin E protects cell membranes from oxidative damage, and its deficiency primarily affects tissues with high fatty acid content, especially the nervous system. Clinically, patients may present with spinocerebellar ataxia, polyneuropathy, muscle weakness, and retinopathy. Diagnosis is confirmed through low serum vitamin E levels, and treatment involves dietary supplementation with vitamin E and (if possible) addressing the underlying cause of malabsorption. The term 'vitamin E' commonly refers to α-tocopherol, and so α-tocopherol deficiency refers to the same syndrome.

Contents

Signs and symptoms

Vitamin E deficiency is typically seen only in the setting of severe and prolonged illnesses causing steatorrhea or other forms of malabsorption. Other patients may have had bariatric surgery or surgical removal of the small intestine. Many of these patients also have deficiencies of other fat-soluble vitamins, and an isolated deficiency of vitamin E is rare. As a result, it may be difficult to definitively identify vitamin E as the cause of any of these symptoms until they are well-progressed. [1]

Typically, the first identifiable sign of vitamin E deficiency is areflexia, or the loss of deep tendon reflexes, like the patellar reflex. The usual progression is then to ataxic gait (which continues to progressively worsen) and then to a loss of dorsal column sensations (position and vibration). The onset and progression of symptoms is slow, often taking years to be recognized. [1]

Signs of vitamin E deficiency include the following:

Causes

Vitamin E deficiency is rare. There are no records of it from a simple lack of vitamin E in a person's diet, but it can arise from physiological abnormalities. [3] It occurs in the people in the following situations: [2] [6]

Diagnosis

The U.S. Institute of Medicine defines deficiency as a serum concentration of less than 12 μmol/L. The symptoms can be enough for a diagnosis to be formed. [3]

Treatment

Treatment is oral vitamin E supplementation. [4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Suter PM (2022). "Chapter 333: Vitamin and Trace Mineral Deficiency and Excess". Harrison's principles of internal medicine (21st ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. ISBN   978-1-264-26850-4.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Brigelius-Flohé R, Traber MG (July 1999). "Vitamin E: function and metabolism". FASEB J. 13 (10): 1145–55. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.13.10.1145 . PMID   10385606. S2CID   7031925.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Institute of Medicine (2000). "Vitamin E". Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. pp. 186–283. doi:10.17226/9810. ISBN   978-0-309-06935-9. PMID   25077263.
  4. 1 2 3 Office of Dietary Supplements. "Vitamin E Professional Fact Sheet". National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  5. 1 2 Kowdley KV, Mason JB, Meydani SN, Cornwall S, Grand RJ (June 1992). "Vitamin E deficiency and impaired cellular immunity related to intestinal fat malabsorption". Gastroenterology. 102 (6): 2139–42. doi:10.1016/0016-5085(92)90344-x. PMID   1587435.
  6. Traber MG, Sies H (1996). "Vitamin E in humans: demand and delivery". Annu. Rev. Nutr. 16: 321–47. doi:10.1146/annurev.nu.16.070196.001541. PMID   8839930.
  7. Brion LP, Bell EF, Raghuveer TS (2003). "Vitamin E supplementation for prevention of morbidity and mortality in preterm infants". Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 (4): CD003665. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003665. PMC   8725195 . PMID   14583988.
  8. Manor D, Morley S (2007). "The alpha-tocopherol transfer protein". Vitam. Horm. Vitamins & Hormones. 76: 45–65. doi:10.1016/S0083-6729(07)76003-X. ISBN   9780123735928. PMID   17628171.
  9. Muller DP, Lloyd JK, Wolff OH (1983). "Vitamin E and Neurological Function: Abetalipoproteinaemia and Other Disorders of Fat Absorption". In Porter R, Whelan J (eds.). Biology of Vitamin E. Ciba Foundation Symposium, vol. 101. pp. 106–121. doi:10.1002/9780470720820.ch8. ISBN   9780470720820. PMID   6557902.
  10. Chen L, Chen Y, Yu X, Liang S, Guan Y, Yang J, Guan B (July 2024). "Long-term prevalence of vitamin deficiencies after bariatric surgery: a meta-analysis". Langenbecks Arch Surg. 409 (1): 226. doi:10.1007/s00423-024-03422-9. PMID   39030449.
  11. Ha J, Kwon Y, Kwon JW, Kim D, Park SH, Hwang J, Lee CM, Park S (July 2021). "Micronutrient status in bariatric surgery patients receiving postoperative supplementation per guidelines: Insights from a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies". Obes Rev. 22 (7): e13249. doi:10.1111/obr.13249. PMID   33938111.