Plasma levels of vitamin E in Parkinsonʹs disease

Oxidative stress has been implicated as a major contributor to selective neuronal death in Parkinsonʹs disease (PD). Vitamin E is an antioxidant that may protect the brain from free radical-induced oxidative damage. It is, therefore, reasonable to hypothesize that low levels of vitamin E concentrations may increase the risk of developing PD. To elucidate the possible role of vitamin E in the pathogenesis of PD, we assessed the plasma levels of vitamin E, measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in 54 patients with PD. Vitamin E concentrations were also assessed in 93 age and sex matched normal individuals. The mean plasma levels of vitamin E did not differ significantly between these two groups (22.5±8.15 μmol/l for PD patients and 21.0±7.9 μmol/l for controls). The results of our study suggest that plasma vitamin E concentrations do not play a major role in the pathogenesis of PD.