Plasma levels of vitamin E in Parkinson's disease

Oxidative stress has been implicated as a major contributor to selective ne uronal death in Parkinson's disease (PD). Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may protect the brain from free radical-induced oxidative damage. It is, th erefore, reasonable to hypothesize that low levels of vitamin E concentrati ons may increase the risk of developing PD. To elucidate the possible role of vitamin E in the pathogenesis of PD, we assessed the plasma levels of vi tamin E, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in 54 p atients with PD. Vitamin E concentrations were also assessed in 93 age and, sex matched normal individuals. The mean plasma levels of vitamin E did no t differ significantly between, these two groups (22.5 +/-8.15 mu mol/l for PD patients and 21.0 +/-7.9 mu mol/l for controls). The results of our stu dy suggest that plasma vitamin E concentrations do not play a major role in the pathogenesis of PD. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.