Effects of vitamin E administration on the hemorheological status and redox homeostasis of patients with porphyria cutanea tarda treated with phlebotomy
Affiliations: Central Hospital of the Hungarian State Railways Budapest, Hungarian Porphyria Center, Hungary | 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University, Hungary | Diachem Kft, Hungary | National Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition, Hungary | 2nd Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
Note: [] Corresponding author: Edit Székely, Central Hospital of the Hungarian State Railways Budapest, Hungarian Porphyria Center, Podmaniczky St. 111, H-1062 Budapest, Hungary. Tel.: +36 475 2636; Fax: +36 475 2636; E-mail: szekedit@freemail.hu.
Abstract: Background: Conflicting results were reported about the efficacy of vitamin E (E) treatment in porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). We conducted a study in PCT patients to investigate whether E treatment has any additional beneficial effects compared with phlebotomy (P) treatment alone on rheological and oxidative stress parameters. Methods: Twenty three patients with sporadic PCT in clinical remission and 10 healthy control patients were studied. All patients were treated with P prior to the study until clinical remission was achieved. Baseline routine laboratory [blood glucose, serum lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), iron metabolism indices, liver function tests], oxidative stress [serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), plasma H-donor activity, plasma free SH-groups, erythrocyte glutathion peroxidase activity] and rheological parameters (whole blood and plasma viscosity, cell transit time, clogging rate) were measured in both groups. Then all PCT patients received E (tocopherol acetate) 200 mg/day for 8 weeks and at the end of treatment measurements identical to those performed at baseline were repeated. Results: Increased urine uroporphyrin, serum CRP, TBARS concentrations, whole blood and plasma viscosity and decreased plasma H-donor activity, free SH-group level, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity were detected in PCT patients treated with P alone compared with control group consistent with residual oxidative stress in PCT patients. E treatment decreased urine uroporphyrin and serum TBARS concentrations; increased plasma H-donor activity and did not influence whole blood and plasma viscosity compared with P treatment alone. Conclusions: E treatment reduced the residual oxidative stress and did not influence increased plasma and whole blood viscosity present in PCT patients receiving P treatment prior to clinical remission.
Keywords: Porphyria cutanea tarda, vitamin E, hemorheological status, oxidative stress
