Alterations in vitamin A and thyroid hormone status in anorexia nervosa and associated disorders

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 42; no. 6; pp. 1183 - 1191
• Main Authors: Curran-Celentano, J, Erdman, JW, Nelson, RA, Grater, SJE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01-12-1985; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; anorexia nervosa; Anorexia Nervosa - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Carotenoids - blood; Child; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; COMPORTEMENT ALIMENTAIRE; Feeding and Eating Disorders - blood; Female; HABITOS ALIMENTARIOS; HORMONAS DE LA TIROIDE; HORMONE THYROIDIENNE; Humans; hypercarotenemia; Hyperphagia - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; RETINOL; Retinol-Binding Proteins - analysis; thyroid hormone; Thyroid Hormones - blood; TRASTORNOS DIGESTIVOS; TROUBLE DIGESTIF; Vitamin A; Vitamin A - blood; Vitamin A; hypercarotenemia; thyroid hormone; anorexia nervosa; Human; Thyroid hormone; Nervous anorexia; Carotene
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/42.6.1183

Vitamin A and thyroid hormone status was investigated in 27 patients with anorexia nervosa. Subjects were divided into three groups based on eating behavior and serum carotene concentrations: anorexic (dietary restriction), normal carotene; anorexic, elevated serum carotene; bulimic, elevated serum carotene. All bulimic subjects fulfilling selection criteria were hypercarotenemic (weight loss and reduced metabolic rate). Data were compared to normal healthy volunteers. Serum retinol and retinol-binding protein levels were normal in all subjects whereas retinyl esters were elevated in the hypercarotenemic groups. Hypercarotenemia was primarily a result of elevation of vitamin A active carotenoids, especially β-carotene. Diet was excluded from the etiology of hypercarotenemia. Thyroid hormones T4 and T3 were significantly depressed in hypercarotenemic groups and rT3 increased. A concomitant alteration in vitamin-hormone status is observed with progressive metabolic alterations: low T3, T4, and elevated retinyl esters in subjects with the hypercarotenemia associated with anorexia nervosa.