Tocopherol concentrations in adipose tissue. Relationships of tocopherol concentrations and fatty acid composition in serum in a reference population of Swedish men and women

Abstract

The tocopherol concentrations in serum and adipose tissue were studied in relation to the fatty acid composition and clinical characteristics in 110 subjects. The tocopherol concentrations in adipose tissue showed large interindividual variations and were positively correlated to those in serum (r = 0.24-0.31, P < 0.01) but did not increase with age. The ratio between alpha- and gamma-tocopherol in adipose tissue was only about half of that in serum. In serum, but not in adipose tissue, the alpha-tocopherol and linoleic acid concentrations were positively correlated. Serum apolipoprotein B was inversely correlated to lipid-corrected serum alpha-tocopherol (r = -0.22, P = 0.03), indicating decreasing oxidative protection with increasing blood lipids. Measurement of the serum tocopherol concentration in addition to that of the serum lipoprotein concentration may be of value in estimating the risk for coronary heart disease. Whether measurement of the tocopherol concentration in adipose tissue has any advantage over that in serum remains to be determined.