These studies demonstrated improvement in biochemical profiles , with a decline in or normalization of liver enzymes .
However , some concerns have been raised regarding the use of vitamin E in patients with NASH due to its adverse effects profile and lack of significant improvement in hepatic fibrosis .
There has been a growing interest in the role of vitamin E supplementation in the treatment and /or prevention of nonalcoholic fatty liver ( NAFLD ) .
Furthermore , histological assessment showed favorable outcomes in lobular inflammation and hepatic steatosis following treatment with vitamin E. Current guidelines regarding the use of vitamin E in the setting of NAFLD recommend that vitamin E-based treatment be restricted to biopsy-proven nondiabetic patients with NASH only .
Effect of vitamin E or metformin for treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children and adolescents: the TONIC randomized controlled trial.
CONTEXT Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) is the most common chronic liver disease in US children and adolescents and can present with advanced fibrosis or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis ( NASH ) . No treatment has been established . OBJECTIVE To determine whether children with NAFLD would improve from therapeutic intervention with vitamin E or metformin . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PATIENTS R and omized , double-blind , double-dummy , placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted at 10 university clinical research centers in 173 patients ( aged 8 - 17 years ) with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD conducted between September 2005 and March 2010 . Interventions Daily dosing of 800 IU of vitamin E ( 58 patients ) , 1000 mg of metformin ( 57 patients ) , or placebo ( 58 patients ) for 96 weeks . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was sustained reduction in alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ) defined as 50 % or less of the baseline level or 40 U/L or less at visits every 12 weeks from 48 to 96 weeks of treatment . Improvements in histological features of NAFLD and resolution of NASH were secondary outcome measures . RESULTS Sustained reduction in ALT level was similar to placebo ( 10/58 ; 17 % ; 95 % CI , 9 % to 29 % ) in both the vitamin E ( 15/58 ; 26 % ; 95 % CI , 15 % to 39 % ; P = .26 ) and metformin treatment groups ( 9/57 ; 16 % ; 95 % CI , 7 % to 28 % ; P = .83 ) . The mean change in ALT level from baseline to 96 weeks was -35.2 U/L ( 95 % CI , -56.9 to -13.5 ) with placebo vs -48.3 U/L ( 95 % CI , -66.8 to -29.8 ) with vitamin E ( P = .07 ) and -41.7 U/L ( 95 % CI , -62.9 to -20.5 ) with metformin ( P = .40 ) . The mean change at 96 weeks in hepatocellular ballooning scores was 0.1 with placebo ( 95 % CI , -0.2 to 0.3 ) vs -0.5 with vitamin E ( 95 % CI , -0.8 to -0.3 ; P = .006 ) and -0.3 with metformin ( 95 % CI , -0.6 to -0.0 ; P = .04 ) ; and in NAFLD activity score , -0.7 with placebo ( 95 % CI , -1.3 to -0.2 ) vs -1.8 with vitamin E ( 95 % CI , -2.4 to -1.2 ; P = .02 ) and -1.1 with metformin ( 95 % CI , -1.7 to -0.5 ; P = .25 ) . Among children with NASH , the proportion who resolved at 96 weeks was 28 % with placebo ( 95 % CI , 15 % to 45 % ; 11/39 ) vs 58 % with vitamin E ( 95 % CI , 42 % to 73 % ; 25/43 ; P = .006 ) and 41 % with metformin ( 95 % CI , 26 % to 58 % ; 16/39 ; P = .23 ) . Compared with placebo , neither therapy demonstrated significant improvements in other histological features . CONCLUSION Neither vitamin E nor metformin was superior to placebo in attaining the primary outcome of sustained reduction in ALT level in patients with pediatric NAFLD . TRIAL REGISTRATION clinical trials.gov Identifier : NCT00063635
These studies demonstrated improvement in biochemical profiles , with a decline in or normalization of liver enzymes .
However , some concerns have been raised regarding the use of vitamin E in patients with NASH due to its adverse effects profile and lack of significant improvement in hepatic fibrosis .
There has been a growing interest in the role of vitamin E supplementation in the treatment and /or prevention of nonalcoholic fatty liver ( NAFLD ) .
Furthermore , histological assessment showed favorable outcomes in lobular inflammation and hepatic steatosis following treatment with vitamin E. Current guidelines regarding the use of vitamin E in the setting of NAFLD recommend that vitamin E-based treatment be restricted to biopsy-proven nondiabetic patients with NASH only .