LONG-TERM ORAL VITAMIN-E SUPPLEMENTATION IN CYSTIC-FIBROSIS PATIENTS - RRR-ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL COMPARED WITH ALL-RAC-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE PREPARATIONS

To investigate the efficacy of three different vitamin E preparations for optimizing vitamin E status in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients long- term, 29 patients (aged 0.7-29.8 y) were randomly assigned to receive 400 lU of either RRR-alpha-tocopherol (A: 268 mg, n = 10) or all-rac-a lpha-tocopheryl acetate as a fat-soluble (B: 400 mg, n = 10) or water- miscible preparation (C: 400 mg, n = 9) and were followed for 6 wk. in the whole study group, plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations increas ed from baseline (10.5 +/- 4.6 mu mol/L) to 3 wk(25.7 +/- 6.5 mu mol/L ; P < 0.001), but not further between 3 and 6 wk; concentrations at 3 and 6 wk did not differ from those of age-matched control subjects (23 .6 +/- 3.9 mu mol/L). There was no significant difference in the incre ase from baseline to 6 wk among preparations A (17.75 +/- 8.43 mu mol/ L), B (14.0 +/- 9.4 mu mol/L), and C (15.5 +/- 7.1 mu mol/L). Because of differences in body weight, the dose administered ranged from 5.5 t o 47.4 IU . kg(-1). d(-1); it correlated positively with the increase in plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations (P < 0.001). There was no si gnificant difference in the increase in plasma alpha-tocopherol concen trations between patients with CF-associated liver disease (n = 8) who received 10.2 +/- 3.8 IU . kg(-1). d(-1) and those without liver dise ase taking comparable doses. We conclude that CF patients can be effic iently supplemented with 400 IU/d of any one of the three vitamin E pr eparations and plasma values of healthy control subjects can be achiev ed.