Dietary supplementation with multiple micronutrients: no beneficial effects in pediatric cystic fibrosis patients.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are subjected to increased oxidative stress due to chronic pulmonary inflammation and recurrent infections. Additionally, these patients have diminished skeletal muscle performance and exercise capacity. We hypothesize that a mixture of multiple micronutrients could have beneficial effects on pulmonary function and muscle performance.

Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled, cross-over trial with a mixture of multiple micronutrients (ML1) was performed in 22 CF patients (12.9+/-2.5 yrs) with predominantly mild lung disease. Anthropometric measures, pulmonary function, exercise performance by bicycle ergometry, muscular strength and vitamins A and E were determined.

Results: Analysis was performed using the paired Student t-test comparing the change in each parameter during ML1 and placebo. Plasma vitamin E and A levels increased during ML1 when compared to placebo. However, no significant difference between the effect of the ML1 or placebo was observed neither for FEV1, FVC, anthropometry, nor for the parameters for muscle performance.

Conclusions: The micronutrient mixture was not superior to placebo with respect to changes in pulmonary function or muscle performance in pediatric CF patients, despite a significant increase in plasma vitamin E concentrations.