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HelpTEST ID VITE Vitamin E, Serum
Reporting Name
Vitamin E, SSpecimen Type
SerumShipping Instructions
Ship specimen in amber vial to protect from light.
Specimen Required
Patient Preparation:
Fasting: 12 hours, required; infants should have specimen collected before next feeding
Supplies: Amber Frosted Tube, 5 mL (T915)
Collection Container/Tube:
Preferred: Red top
Acceptable: Serum gel
Submission Container/Tube: Amber vial
Specimen Volume: 0.5 mL
Collection Instructions: Within 2 hours of collection, centrifuge and aliquot serum into a light protected plastic vial.
Specimen Minimum Volume
0.25 mL
Specimen Stability Information
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time | Special Container |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serum | Refrigerated (preferred) | 44 days | LIGHT PROTECTED |
| Frozen | 44 days | LIGHT PROTECTED | |
| Ambient | 7 days | LIGHT PROTECTED |
Method Name
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
Reject Due To
| Gross hemolysis | OK |
| Gross lipemia | Reject |
| Gross icterus | OK |
Reference Values
0-17 years: 3.8-18.4 mg/L
≥18 years: 5.5-17.0 mg/L
Day(s) Performed
Report Available
3 to 5 daysSpecimen Retention Time
14 daysPerforming Laboratory
Mayo Clinic Laboratories in Rochester
CPT Code Information
84446
Forms
If not ordering electronically, complete, print, and send a General Request (T239) with the specimen.
Useful For
Assessing vitamin E status
Monitoring vitamin E supplementation or treatment
Clinical Information
Vitamin E is the generic term for two different groups of methylated phenol compounds with a chromane alcoholic core linked to poly-carbon chains (tocopherols and tocotrienols).
These vitamins are all free radical scavengers, with a-Tocopherol being the most potent one in humans, as most of the related compounds are not re-secreted by the liver, thus leading to much lower circulating concentrations.
Vitamin E deficiency is very rare and mostly seen in patients with extreme malabsorption of fat and in patients with abetalipoproteinemia, a rare inborn error of metabolism. Patients with these conditions may develop hemolytic anemia, peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, retinopathy, and immune deficiency.
There is a large body of scientific studies that indicates positive effects on outcomes of various diseases if regular Vitamin E supplementation is provided; however, several trials have shown evidence of increasing bleeding risks at high Vitamin E doses. Therefore, tables of tolerable doses in children and adults have been established, which should not be exceeded.