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Endocrine Abstracts (2014) 36 OC7.2 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.36.OC7.2

BSPED2014 Oral Communications Oral Communications 7 (5 abstracts)

Urinary vitamin E metabolites as a biomarker of oxidative stress in type 1 diabetes

Chloe Bulwer 1, , Kevin Mills 1, , Ernestas Sirka 1, & Peter Hindmarsh 1,


1Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK; 2University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.


Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development and progression of complications in type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Vitamin E (α-tocopherol) undergoes β-oxidation of its chomanol ring and the resulting metabolite α-TLHQ has been proposed as a potential biomarker of oxidative stress. HbA1c relates in T1DM to microvascular complications predominantly although the end-points are late in disease development. The oxidative stress process may act independently of HbA1c and oxidative stress markers may be useful predictors of early vascular damage.

Objective and hypotheses: We aimed to measure the levels of vitamin E metabolites in T1DM and see whether they were elevated when compared with age-matched controls and to relate the measures to HbA1c, mode of insulin therapy and duration of diabetes.

Method: We developed a new assay using triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry to measure vitamin E metabolites α-TLHQ-SO3 and α-TLHQ-glucuronide. Urine samples were analysed from 133 children with T1DM and 88 age-matched controls. All subjects had normal renal function.

Results: Both vitamin E metabolites were significantly higher in T1DM compared to controls: mean α-TLHQ-SO3 (nmol/mmol creatinine) 3.09±0.39 T1DM vs 1.96±0.33 controls (P=0.04); mean α-TLHQ-glucuronide (nmol/mmol creatinine) 76.63±5.65 T1DM vs 47.87±2.16 controls (P<0.0001). No statistically significant differences were seen with HbA1c level, mode of insulin therapy, duration of diabetes or use of continuous glucose monitors.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate that urinary α-TLHQ, a biomarker of oxidative stress, is elevated in T1DM. Further work is required to validate these results and analyse variation with other parameters of diabetic control.

Volume 36

42nd Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes 

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