Plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherol have different pattern during normal human pregnancy.

Plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherol were monitored in pregnant women throughout healthy gestational periods and after delivery and were compared with that of non pregnant women. The mean plasma alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol concentrations in non pregnant Saudi women (15.2 +/- 1.3 and 1.8 +/- 0.2 mumol/l respectively) were found within normal range. The maternal plasma alpha-tocopherol level steadily increased reaching maximum level (19.1 +/- 1.6 mumol/l) at late gestation and then gradually decreased after delivery. On the contrary, the optimum level of gamma-tocopherol (2.1 +/- 0.2 mumol/l) was at mid gestation, followed by a progressive decrease until one month after delivery (1.5 +/- 0.1 mumol/l). This study shows that the maternal plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherol have different profiles that may be attributed to their different responses to the changes in maternal lipids during pregnancy.