Vitamin A Status in Patients with Cirrhosis of Liver - A Case Control Study

Kandarp Nath Saxena; Ravikant Kumar

Volume : VIII, Issue : II, February - 2019

Vitamin A Status in Patients with Cirrhosis of Liver - A Case Control Study

Kandarp Nath Saxena, Ravikant Kumar

Abstract :

Background – Vitamin A has multitude of function and liver plays pivotal role in its metabolism. Diseases of liver of various etiology and severity may affect vitamin A status. Aims– To determine and compare vitamin A level in patients with cirrhosis of liver with normal population and the relationship between etiology of cirrhosis of liver with vitamin A status. Methods– Patients of cirrhosis of liver due to various etiology were evaluated clinically and biochemical test including LFT and serum vitamin A level were estimated. Apparently normal relatives of patients were taken as control. Results– Sixty three percent (95/150) of patients with cirrhosis of liver had vitamin A deficiency while only about six percent of controls had low vitamin A level (p <0.05). Most common etiology of cirrhosis of liver was alcohol (45/150,30%) and most common presentation was ascites (109/150,73%). Vitamin A status had no relation to etiology of cirrhosis of liver. Of the patients of CTP–A, 18(41%) had low vitamin A level and none of them had severe deficiency. In CTP–B and CTP–C, 36(62%) and 41 (83%) had vitamin A deficiency respectively. Conclusion– Vitamin A deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with cirrhosis of liver irrespective of etiology of cirrhosis. The functional indicator (night blindness) is not a good parameter for assessing the vitamin A nutritional status. In view of multitude of function of vitamin A , its estimation and replacement may be considered in case of deficient cirrhotic patients