Related Experiment Videos
Measurement of serum vitamin E isomers in fullterm and preterm infants
Insights
Preterm infants have significantly lower serum vitamin E levels compared to fullterm neonates, though their vitamin E to total lipids ratio remains similar. The HPLC method is practical for assessing vitamin E levels in neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Nutritional Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Vitamin E is crucial for neonatal health.
- Accurate measurement of vitamin E is essential for identifying deficiencies, especially in vulnerable preterm infants.
- Establishing reference ranges is key for clinical assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for measuring serum vitamin E.
- To determine reference ranges for serum vitamin E in fullterm neonates and their mothers.
- To compare vitamin E levels between fullterm and preterm neonates.
Main Methods:
- HPLC was used to quantify alpha- and gamma-tocopherol in serum samples.
- Cord blood from 34 fullterm neonates and venous blood from 35 preterm neonates were analyzed.
- Maternal serum samples were collected concurrently with fullterm neonate samples.
Main Results:
- Fullterm neonates and their mothers had significantly higher serum vitamin E levels than preterm infants.
- A positive correlation was observed between serum vitamin E levels and total lipids.
- While preterm infants showed lower tocopherol levels, their vitamin E/total lipids ratios did not differ significantly from fullterm infants.
Conclusions:
- The HPLC method is a practical and effective tool for measuring serum vitamin E in neonates.
- Preterm infants exhibit lower serum vitamin E levels, highlighting potential deficiency risks.
- The vitamin E/total lipids ratio may offer a more stable indicator across different gestational ages.
Background:
This study was conducted with the following aims: (1) to construct a methodology by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure vitamin E levels in our neonatal units; (2) to establish a reference range of serum vitamin E levels in fullterm neonates and their mothers; and (3) to compare these to levels in the preterm group.
Methods:
During a 6-month period from September 1996 to February 1997, cord blood of 34 uneventful fullterm neonates (gestational age 38-42 weeks, birth weight 2840-3530 g) and venous blood of their healthy mothers were collected. Venous blood of 35 preterm neonates (gestational age 28-34 weeks, birth weight 940-1980 g) was collected at the same time. Serum vitamin E levels were measured by HPLC. The serum vitamin E/total lipids ratio was also examined.
Results:
Serum levels of alpha-tocopherol in 34 fullterm neonates and their mothers were 0.212+/-0.127 and 1.160+/-0.513 mg/dl, and of gamma-tocopherol were 0.029+/-0.019 and 0.214+/-0.122 mg/dl, respectively. All fullterm neonates except 2 had serum levels less than 0.5 mg/dl. There was a positive relationship between serum E levels and total lipids. In addition, the correlation between neonatal vitamin E/total lipids ratios and maternal vitamin E/total lipids ratio was statistically significant. The serum level of alpha-tocopherol in 35 preterm infants was 0.170+/-0.090 mg/dl and that of gamma-tocopherol was 0.020+/-0.015 mg/dl; both levels were much lower than those of their fullterm counterparts. But the vitamin E/total lipids ratios did not significantly differ.
Conclusions:
We conclude that (1) measurement of serum vitamin E levels by the HPLC method is practical, and is useful in evaluating deficiencies in preterm infants and possibly useful in monitoring the adequacy after supplementation in future study, and (2) preterm infants had a much lower level of serum tocopherol, but no difference was seen in vitamin E/total lipids ratio.