Nutritional assessment of vitamin E in malnourished patients with AIDS

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 339 - 343
• Main Authors: Pontes Monteiro, Jacqueline, Ferreira da Cunha, Daniel, Freire Carvalho Cunha, Selma, Modesto dos Santos, Vitorino, Jordão, Alceu A, Correia, Dalmo, Silva-Vergara, Mario León, Vannucchi, Helio, Júnior, Virmondes R, Pires Bianchi, Maria de Lourdes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2000
• Subjects: acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Adult; Case-Control Studies; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Eating; Female; food intake; HIV Wasting Syndrome - blood; HIV Wasting Syndrome - urine; Humans; Male; malnutrition; Surveys and Questionnaires; vitamin E; Vitamin E - blood; Vitamin E - urine; malnutrition; vitamin E; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; food intake
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/S0899-9007(00)00227-6

Malnourished patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may have low serum levels and reduced intake of α-tocopherol, mainly in the presence of acute-phase response. The aims of this study were to compare intake and serum levels of α-tocopherol between malnourished (MN) and non-malnourished (NMN) AIDS patients and to correlate α-tocopherol intake and serum levels. Undernutrition was defined as having a body mass index lower than 18.5 kg/m 2 or a height–creatinine index lower than 70%. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire assessed α-tocopherol intake. High-performance liquid chromatography determined vitamin serum levels. The patients were divided into MN ( n = 14) and NMN ( n = 15) groups. There were no statistical differences in relation to clinical findings between MN and NMN, respectively, including moniliasis (7/14 versus 4/15), neurocryptoccocosis and neurotoxoplasmosis (6/14 versus 6/15), pulmonary tuberculosis (4/14 versus 2/15), and fever (1/14 versus 3/15). MN and NMN groups had similar peripheral blood CD 4 levels (111.4 ± 87.1 versus 124.4 ± 90.9 cells/mm 3), and both groups had similar and adequate α-tocopherol intake (MN = 50.0 ± 11.0 versus NMN = 47.2 ± 16.5 mg) and serum levels (MN = 17.8 ± 7.2 versus NMN = 19.8 ± 6.3 μmol/L). Vitamin E intake and serum levels did not show a significant correlation ( r = −0.22, P > 0.05). Protein-energy nutrition status and acute-phase response were not factors determining vitamin status among AIDS patients.