Clin Mol Hepatol.  2015 Dec;21(4):379-386. 10.3350/cmh.2015.21.4.379.

Effect of vitamin E in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with metabolic syndrome: A propensity score-matched cohort study

• Kim GH
• Chung JW
• Lee JH
• Ok KS
• Jang ES
• Kim J
• Shin CM
• Park YS
• Hwang JH
• Jeong SH
• Kim N
• Lee DH
• Kim JW

• KMID: 2359820
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2015.21.4.379

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Vitamin E improves the biochemical profiles and liver histology in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, but the role of vitamin E is not clearly defined in the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which includes both simple steatosis and steatohepatitis. Co-morbid metabolic syndrome increases the probability of steatohepatitis in NAFLD. In this study, we aimed to determine the short-term effects of vitamin E and off-treatment durability of response in a propensity-score matched cohort of NAFLD patients with metabolic syndrome.
METHODS
A retrospective cohort was constructed by retrieving 526 consecutive NAFLD patients from the electronic medical record data warehouse of a tertiary referral hospital in South Korea. Among them, 335 patients (63.7%) had metabolic syndrome and were eligible for vitamin E therapy. In order to assess the effect of vitamin E, propensity score matching was used by matching covariates between control patients (n=250) and patients who received vitamin E (n=85).
RESULTS
The PS-matched vitamin E group (n=58) and control group (n=58) exhibited similar baseline metabolic profiles. After 6 months of vitamin E therapy, the mean ALT levels decreased significantly compared to PS-matched control (P<0.01). The changes in metabolic profiles (body weight, lipid and glucose levels) did not differ between control and vitamin E groups during the study period.
CONCLUSIONS
Short-term vitamin E treatment significantly reduces ALT levels in NAFLD patients with metabolic syndrome, but metabolic profiles are not affected by vitamin E.

Keyword

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Vitamin E; Metabolic syndrome; Propensity score

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Alanine Transaminase/blood
Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood
Body Weight
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Lipoproteins, HDL/blood
Lipoproteins, LDL/blood
Liver/pathology
Male
Metabolic Syndrome X/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy
Middle Aged
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/*complications/diagnosis/*drug therapy
Propensity Score
Republic of Korea
Retrospective Studies
Vitamin E/*therapeutic use
Aspartate Aminotransferases
Alanine Transaminase
Lipoproteins, HDL
Lipoproteins, LDL
Vitamin E