alpha-Tocopherol level in liver diseases

Serum levels of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) were determined in various types of liver diseases, and as a results, it was revealed that serum alpha-tocopherol was significantly depressed in acute hepatitis (p less than 0.01, n = 22), alcoholic hepatitis (p less than 0.001, n = 9) and fulminant hepatitis (p less than 0.001, n = 6). There was a significant correlation between serum levels of alpha-tocopherol and beta-lipoprotein (r = 0.92, p less than 0.001, n = 17). Though there was no correlation between serum levels of alpha-tocopherol and triglyceride, there was a significant correlation between alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol (r = 0.57, p less than 0.01, n = 21), and phospholipid (r = 0.49, p less than 0.05, n = 18). There was no correlation between serum levels of alpha-tocopherol and other liver function tests. These facts suggested that the diminished serum vitamin E in patients with liver diseases is ascribable to the depression in blood level of beta-lipoprotein that results from liver disorders, because the liver is the major supply source of beta-lipoprotein.