Antioxidant vitamin levels in sickle cell disorders

• Published in: The National medical journal of India Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 11 - 13
• Main Authors: Ray, Debes, Deshmukh, Pradeep, Goswami, Kalyan, Garg, Neelam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia, Sickle Cell - epidemiology; Anemia, Sickle Cell - etiology; Antioxidants - analysis; Ascorbic Acid - blood; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene - deficiency; Case-Control Studies; Child; Female; Humans; India - epidemiology; Male; Risk Factors; Vitamin E Deficiency - blood; Vitamin E Deficiency - complications; India
• ISSN: 0970-258X

Sickle cell disorder is a haemoglobinopathy prevalent in the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra, central India. With recent evidence of oxidative stress in sickle haemoglobinopathy, a possible deficiency of antioxidant vitamins was suspected. We measured plasma vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene levels in persons with heterozygous (n=80) and homozygous sickle cell state (n=20), and suitable healthy controls for these groups (n=100 and 66, respectively) in a community-based study in the villages near our institution. Subjects with heterozygous sickle cell trait had lower vitamin E levels than their respective controls (p < 0.05). Subjects with homozygous sickle cell disease had lower levels of all three vitamins (p < 0.05). Vitamins E and C levels showed a significant positive correlation in both forms of sickle cell disorder. Our findings suggest that there is depletion of the antioxidant vitamins, particularly in severe forms of sickle cell disorder. A trial of administration of therapeutic doses of vitamin E in this condition is warranted.