Comparisons between absorption of vitamin E in patients with chronic pancreatitis and healthy controls: the bioavailability of vitamin E.

The fasting serum levels of alpha-tocopherol were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography in 13 patients with chronic pancreatitis of whom 7 were positive for pancreatic calcification (CCP) and 6, negative (NCP) and 10 healthy subjects. The fasting serum levels of alpha-tocopherol were significantly lower in patients with chronic pancreatitis (7.2 +/- 1.1 micrograms/ml for CCP and 7.9 +/- 0.6 for NCP) than in healthy subjects (11.3 +/- 0.7 micrograms/ml). Vitamin E absorption was determined in those with chronic pancreatitis and in healthy subjects after postprandial oral administration of 400 mg of vitamin E, using soft capsules which contained tocopherol nicotinate along with an appropriate amount of a suspension of an ester of fatty acids with glycerol and middle chain triacylglycerol. The mean absorption of vitamin E was 12.7 +/- 2.0 micrograms/ml X hr for healthy subjects, 9.1 +/- 3.1 micrograms/ml X hr for CCP and 13.0 +/- 2.7 micrograms/ml X hr for NCP, respectively. There was no significant difference in vitamin E absorption between patients with chronic pancreatitis and healthy subjects. Further, the rate of hydrolysis of tocopherol nicotinate did not significantly differ between healthy subjects and patients with chronic pancreatitis. It is of interest to note that vitamin E absorption in patients with chronic pancreatitis was increased by the postprandial use of an oily suspension type preparation of tocopherol nicotinate.