Serum Levels Of Alpha-carotene Research Articles

Levels of Fat-Soluble Micronutrients and 2,6-Cyclolycopene-1,5-Diol in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Smoking negatively affects serum carotenoid levels, and it is a negative prognostic factor for head and neck cancer. In this study, micronutrient levels were examined in 60 smoking and non-smoking head and neck cancer patients. The goal was to determine if oxidation of the carotenoid lycopene would occur to a greater extent in smokers. Subjects were drawn from a prospective cohort study and matched on seven demographic factors. Serum levels of alpha-carotene, zeaxanthin, and 2,6-cyclolycopene-1,5-diol A, an oxidation product of lycopene, were all lower in smokers versus non-smokers (18%, 22%, and 8%, respectively) while beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein were about the same in the two groups. Levels of lycopene, gamma-tocopherol, and alpha-tocopherol were higher in smokers, and notably serum alpha-tocopherol was 48% higher in smokers. The majority of vitamin E intake was from supplements. The higher levels of alpha-tocopherol in smokers were interesting in that higher alpha-tocopherol levels have been associated with higher mortality in head and neck cancer. Although this was a pilot investigation, there was no evidence that 2,6-cyclolycopene-1,5-diol A formation was appreciably affected by smoking status, but alpha-tocopherol levels were higher in smokers.

Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Serum Carotenoid Levels: a Japanese Population-based Follow-up Study

BACKGROUNDSome observational epidemiologic studies suggest that dietary and serum carotenoids are associated with reduced cardiovascular disease mortality.METHODSThree thousand and sixty-one subjects (1,190 males and 1,871 females), aged 39 to 80 years, were recruited from residents of Hokkaido, Japan who had attended comprehensive health check-up programs from 1988 through 1995. Serum levels of α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene were separately determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Serum levels of total carotene consisted of the sum of α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene levels. Each serum level of α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, total carotene, triglyceride, and alanine transaminase (ALT) activity was transformed logarithmically. The hazard ratios of serum α- and β-carotenes, lycopene, and total carotene values were estimated by the Cox proportional hazard model after adjusting for sex, age, and other potential confounding factors.RESULTSDuring the 11.9-year follow-up period, 80 deaths (49 males and 31 females) from cardiovascular disease, 40 deaths from heart disease, and 37 deaths from stroke were identified among the cohort subjects. High serum values of carotenoids such as α- and β-carotenes, and lycopene were found to be significantly associated with low hazard ratios for cardiovascular disease mortality. However, a significant inverse association between high serum lycopene value and the risk for stroke mortality was not always observed.CONCLUSIONSHigh serum levels of total carotene, comprising α- and β-carotenes and lycopene, may reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease mortality among the Japanese population.