THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PLASMA TOCOPHEROL CONCENTRATION AND OF TOCOPHEROL TOLERANCE TESTS IN LIVER DISEASE 1

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Abstract
The mean plasma tocopherol concn. was significantly lower, and the range and distribution of values were significantly wider in liver disease subjects than in healthy controls, but there was no significant difference between liver disease subjects and hospitalized convalescent controls. Moreover, the plasma tocopherol level could not be correlated with the degree of hepatic dysfuction, the type of liver damage, the serum cholesterol level or age. Oral tocopherol tolerance curves were lower in liver disease than in hospitalized controls, but the max. rise in plasma tocopherol bore no relationship to the initial level or to the degree of hepatic dysfunction. There was no significant difference between the tolerance curves obtained following orally administered acetate and phosphate esters. Intramusc. injd. tocopherol, either as an oily soln. or as a stabilized emulsion of the acetate, was slowly and irregularly absorbed yielding lower curves in both groups of subjects. The curves were somewhat lower in liver disease, but the difference was of only borderline significance. The results do not warrant any definite conclusions regarding alterations in tocopherol absorption or metabolism in liver disease. Investigation along other lines is required to elucidate this problem.