Plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and urate in patients with different types of cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To measure plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and urate to determine whether there is any relationship with different types of cancer before treatment.


METHODS
Plasma concentrations of those two antioxidants were measured in cancer patients and sex- and age-matched controls. Plasma total cholesterol concentration was measured to derive an alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol ratio.


RESULTS
Alpha-tocopherol and urate concentrations as well as alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol ratios were significantly lower in the cancer patients as whole, in gastrointestinal cancer and in breast cancer compared to the controls. There was no significant relationship between alpha-tocopherol and urate levels in either the plasma of patients (r=0.048; P=0.653) or controls (r=0.073; P=0.406). Alpha-tocopherol was more positively correlated with cholesterol in the plasma of controls (r=0.539; P < 0.0001) in comparison with the patients (r=0.456; P < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between urate and cholesterol levels in both patient and control plasma samples.


CONCLUSIONS
The data suggest that although alpha-tocopherol and urate provide important antioxidant defence in cancer, the association between their levels is weak.
Abiaka
C
C
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Sulaibikhat. clifford@hsc.kuniv.edu.kw
Al-Awadi
F
F
Gulshan
S
S
Al-Sayer
H
H
Behbehani
A
A
Farghaly
M
M
Simbeye
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood*; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood*
D000975:Antioxidants; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D014527:Uric Acid; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol