Evaluating serum alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) in terms of a lipid ratio

It is well known that accurate assessment of serum cl-tocopherol requires k nowledge of the serum lipids also present. Patient specimens (n = 307) with in the standard reference limit of 5-18 mg/L were used to determine the fol lowing 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 ol-tocop herol status, patients with low results (<5 mg/L) were normal on reevaluati on with the lipid ratio in 47 percent of those examined (28 of 59), and ele vated results (>18 mg/L) were normal or low in 58 percent (26 of 45). Eleva ted triglycerides developed from non-fasting specimens were one common reas on for misleading results when lipids were not considered. When measuring a -tocopherol in a patient population, evaluation of the lipid content is nee ded for accurate assessment in a significant number of cases.