Normal vitamin E status in spinal muscular atrophy.

In an attempt to confirm prior reports of vitamin E deficiency in Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, we assessed vitamin E nutritional status in 11 children and 6 adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Serum vitamin E levels (10.6 +/- 3.3 micrograms/ml for those less than 12 years old, 13.2 +/- 4.5 for those older than 12) and the ratio of serum vitamin E to total serum lipids were normal in all patients. Vitamin E nutritional status appears to be normal in SMA, and vitamin E therapy is not indicated.