An evaluation of nutritional status of vitamin E in pregnant women with respect to red blood cell tocopherol level.

Changes in RBC tocopherol level as an index for vitamin E status were studied in relation to plasma levels of tocopherol and lipids during pregnancy. Plasma tocopherol levels increased gradually and significantly during gestation. The changes depended on changes in total lipids in plasma, of which an increase in triglycerides was most predominant. A similar increase was shown in beta-lipoprotein levels, while HDL-cholesterol did not show any significant change. The ratio of plasma tocopherol to plasma total lipids, proposed as the best index for vitamin E status by Horwitt, remained unchanged during gestation, while RBC tocopherol levels somewhat decreased during the last trimester. The result indicates that tissue tocopherol available for biological function in the biomembrane may decrease due to hyperlipemia during gestation, as reflected in RBC tocopherol change.