Objective: To investigate the effect of dexamethasone therapy on serum vitamin E concentrations in premature infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Study design: A total of 10, 24 to 29 weeks' gestational age, infants enrolled in a prospective study designed to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone on lipid intolerance were eligible for the study. Eight of these 10 infants had serum vitamin E concentrations measured simultaneously with serum triglyceride concentrations before the start of dexamethasone therapy (baseline) and within 5 days of the initiation of dexamethasone therapy. Charts were reviewed for vitamin E intake at baseline and on dexamethasone therapy for each of these eight infants.
Results: All eight infants had physiological serum vitamin E concentrations (1 to 3 mg/dl) at baseline, while six of eight infants had pharmacological serum vitamin E concentrations (> or =3 mg/dl) on dexamethasone therapy. All infants with an increase in serum vitamin E concentration also had a simultaneous increase in serum triglyceride concentrations with a significant correlation between vitamin E and triglyceride concentrations (Spearman's rho=0.92). There was a significant difference in mean serum vitamin E concentration between baseline and post-dexamethasone therapy (P=0.01, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test). There was no significant difference in vitamin E intake between baseline and post-dexamethasone therapy.
Conclusion: Dexamethasone therapy in premature infants induces significant increase in serum vitamin E concentrations to pharmacological levels independent of vitamin E intake.