title: Evaluating serum alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) in terms of a lipid ratio.
abstract: It is well known that accurate assessment of serum alpha-tocopherol requires knowledge of the serum lipids also present. Patient specimens (n = 307) within the standard reference limit of 5-18 mg/L were used to determine the following 95 percent reference interval for a lipid ratio of alpha-tocopherol to the sum of cholesterol and triglycerides [E/(C + T)]: 1.4 (1.20-1.56) - 5.7 (5.51-6.91) mg/g (90 percent confidence interval). In terms of alpha-tocopherol status, patients with low results (< 5 mg/L) were normal on reevaluation with the lipid ratio in 47 percent of those examined (28 of 59), and elevated results (> 18 mg/L) were normal or low in 58 percent (26 of 4.5). Elevated triglycerides developed from non-fasting specimens were one common reason for misleading results when lipids were not considered. When measuring alpha-tocopherol in a patient population, evaluation of the lipid content is needed for accurate assessment in a significant number of cases.
authors.affiliation: ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, USA.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Winbauer
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pingree
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Nuttall
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014810:Vitamin E