Influence of plasma lipids and adiposity on red blood cell tocopherol level.

The influence of plasma lipids and the degree of adiposity on red blood cell (RBC) tocopherol levels was investigated in children. In the first study of nonobese children with a wide range of plasma lipid values, the correlation coefficient between RBC tocopherol levels and plasma tocopherol levels was 0.39 (P less than 0.001, n = 195) but when RBC tocopherol was compared with plasma tocopherol based on plasma total lipids, the coefficient increased to 0.69. From this finding it is assumed that RBC tocopherol levels are governed by the tocopherol concentration in plasma lipids. In the second study of obese children, RBC tocopherol levels decreased in the children with 30% or more excess weight, as compared with those of control children and those with less than 30% obesity, while plasma tocopherol levels were unrelated to obesity grades. Because of no significant difference in plasma total lipid levels among these three groups of children, decreased RBC tocopherol in children with 30% or more obesity is probably attributable to their adiposity.