@article{2989667, title = "Relationship between tocopherols and serum lipid levels in children with β thalassemia major", author = "Zannos Mariolea, L. and Papagregoriou Theodoridou, M. and Costantzas, N.", journal = "AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION", year = "1978", volume = "31", number = "2", pages = "259-263", issn = "0002-9165", doi = "10.1093/ajcn/31.2.259", keywords = "alpha tocopherol; lipid, major clinical study; preschool child; school child; thalassemia major", abstract = "Serum tocopherol levels were found to be below normal (< 0.5 mg/100 ml) in nine (50%) of 18 children with β-thalassemia major receiving inadequate treatment with blood transfusions. The mean tocopherol levels mg/100 ml significantly lower in the children with β-thalassemia (0.57 mg/100/ml ± 0.20) than in the controls (1.08 mg/100 ml ± 0.24). Serum total lipid levels were found to be low in children with β-thalassemia. The difference between the mean total lipid level in the β-thalassemic patients (365 mg/100 ml ± 75) as compared to that of the controls (581 mg/100 ml ± 94) was highly significant (P< 0.01). The ratio of serum tocopherol to 1 g total lipids was lower in children with β-thalassemia (1.41 mg/100 ml ± 0.43) than in the controls (1.88 mg/100 ml ± 0.46) and the difference was significant. Yet, only three out of the 18 children with β-thalassemia showed a ratio of less than 0.8 mg/100 ml tocopherol per 1 g total lipid which may be considered indicative of tocopherol deficiency." }