Vitamin E and lipoprotein levels in the sera of pregnant women.

The serum levels of vitamin E, cholesterol and lipoproteins, alpha1-lipoproteins and beta-lipoproteins in pregnant women were investigated. It was found that serum vitamin E, cholesterol and the lipoproteins had a tendency to increase throughout gestation. The mean serum alpha1-lipoprotein concentration was higher in pregnant women than in healthy control women. The ratios of the vitamin E concentration to the sum of alpha1-lipoproteins and beta-lipoproteins concentration in sera was constant. Furthermore, it was found that serum vitamin E was correlated closely to the lipoprotein content (r = 0.814, p less than 0.001), except in a few subjects with abnormally high vitamin E levels.