title: Alpha-tocopherol concentration in serum and colostrum of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate and compare the levels of α-tocopherol in colostrum and in the serum of healthy and diabetic mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study enrolled 51 volunteer mothers, 20 with the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus and 31 without associated diseases. Serum and colostrum samples were collected in fasting in the immediate postpartum period and α-tocopherol was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In order to define the nutritional status of vitamin E, the cutoff point for the serum (697.7µg/dL) was adopted. Student's t-test for independent variables compared the average concentrations of α-tocopherol in the serum and in the colostrum between control and gestational diabetes mellitus groups. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between the concentration of α-tocopherol in serum and colostrum for both groups. Differences were considered significant when p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The α-tocopherol concentration in colostrum was 1,483.1±533.8µg/dL for Control Group and 1,368.8±681.8µg/dL for diabetic women, without differences between groups (p=0.50). However, α-tocopherol concentration in the serum was 1,059.5±372.7µg/dL in the Control Group and 1,391.4±531.5µg/dL in the diabetic one (p<0.01). No correlation was found between the concentration of α-tocopherol in the serum and in the colostrum for control and diabetic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The groups had adequate nutritional status of vitamin E. Gestational diabetes was not associated with changes in α-tocopherol concentration in colostrum.
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Barros S
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Resende
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Heleni Aires
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Clemente
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Dalila Fernandes
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Evellyn Câmara
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Grilo
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Larisse Rayanne M
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: de  Melo
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paula Emília N R
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bellot
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Raquel Costa S
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.affiliation: UFRN, Natal, RN, Brasil.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dimenstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003126:Colostrum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D024502:alpha-Tocopherol