title: Effect of plasma alpha-tocopherol on leukotriene E4 excretion in genetic vitamin E deficiency.
abstract: Studying the biological effects of vitamin e in humans is difficult because conditions involving vitamin E deficiency are usually associated with chronic multiple pathology. Genetic vitamin E deficiency caused by a deficient alpha-tocopherol transport protein offers unique possibilities for study of vitamin E effects since the patients can be studied in good general health. In such a patient we manipulated plasma alpha-tocopherol levels in a wide range by varying oral alpha-tocopherol supplements and measured urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4) concentrations. LTE4 excretion proved inversely correlated to plasma alpha-tocopherol levels. This strongly suggests that in genetic vitamin E deficiency, alpha-tocopherol influences formation of leukotrienes in vivo.
authors.affiliation: University Children's Hospital, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kohlschütter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayatepek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Finckh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hübner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004492:Edetic Acid; D006801:Humans; D017999:Leukotriene E4 / Q000652:urine*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D017999:Leukotriene E4; D004492:Edetic Acid