¡ ects of metabolic control on vitamin E nutritional status in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus
FObjective: To evaluate the e¡ects of themetabolic control of the insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) on the nutritional status of vitamin E. Methods: A total of 47 children with IDDMand a mean age of11.9171.60 (mean7SD) years were studied, matched for age and sex with16 healthy children (11.7571.83 years). Following theAmerican and British Associations for IDDM, we used a classification of ‘good’, ‘moderate’or ‘poor’control of the illness: (a) good control [glycosilated haemoglobin (HbAlc) 7%]; (b) moderate control (7%o HbAlc 8%); and (c) poor control (HbAlc48%). Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDLc), very lowand low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (VLDLc and LDLc), plasma and erythrocyte vitamin E (Vit Ep andVit Ee) and plasma vitamin A (Vit Ap) were measured in all children. Results: The childrenwith ‘poor’metabolic control of the illness presented significantly higher plasma concentrations of CHOL, LDLc,VLDLc, LDLc/HDLc, (VLDL+LDL)c/HDLc,TG andVit Ep; higher indicesVit Ep/Vit Ee andVit Ep/Vit Ap relative to thosewith a‘good’control of the illness. Direct-linear correlationswere foundbetween Vit Ep and the percentage of HbAlc andwith the markers of atherogenic risk in the IDDM children. Conclusion: There is a significant rise inVit Ep concentrations as metabolic control of the illness worsens, whereas Vit Ee remainedunchanged.These results suggest that vitamin Emaintains its nutritional status despite a poor control of the IDDMduring childhood. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.