Hepatitis
Vitamin E improves the aminotransferase status of patients suffering
from viral hepatitis C: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled
study.
von Herbay A; Stahl W; Niederau C; Sies H
Free Radic Res 1997 Dec;27(6):599-605 Vitamin E has been shown
to protect against liver damage induced by oxidative stress in animal
experiments. Based on our previous findings of diminished vitamin E levels
in patients suffering from viral hepatitis, we treated 23 hepatitis C
patients refractory to alpha-interferon therapy with high doses
of vitamin E (2 x 400 IU RRR-alpha-tocopherol/day) for 12 weeks.
Study design: pro-spective randomized double-blind crossover design. Clinical
parameters including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase
(AST) were determined for monitoring the disease state, in parallel vitamin
E plasma levels and plasma lipids were determined. The plasma levels of
the alpha-tocopherol were increased about 2-fold in all 23 patients. In
11 of 23 patients the clinical parameters indicative of liver damage were
improved during the phase of vitamin E treatment (48% responders). ALT
levels in responders were lowered by 46% and AST levels were lowered by
35% after 12 weeks of vitamin E treatment. Cessation of vitamin E treatment
was followed by a rapid relapse of ALT and AST elevation, whereas retreatment
led to a reproducible ALT decrease by 45% and AST decrease of 37% after
a 6 months followup. Since vitamin E is non-toxic even at elevated
doses ingested over extended periods, we suggest the treatment of patients
refractory to alpha-interferon therapy suffering from hepatitis C with
vitamin E as a supportive therapy.
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