Vitamin E levels in premenstrual syndrome.

To determine whether changes in peripheral vitamin E levels are associated with symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, 10 patients with premenstrual syndrome and 10 control subjects were studied. They gave blood at 2- or 3-day intervals throughout three menstrual cycles. The vitamin E was measured by fluorometry after hexane extraction and luteinizing hormone was measured by radioimmunoassay. In the control group, vitamin E values were 854 +/- 45 micrograms/dl (mean +/- SE) during the luteal phase and 925 +/- 55 micrograms/dl during the follicular phase. No significant changes were noted between the two values. In the patients with premenstrual syndrome, the values were 849 +/- 53 micrograms/dl during the luteal phase, which was not significantly different from 858 +/- 48 micrograms/dl during the follicular phase. No significant changes were noted between the control group and the patients with premenstrual syndrome in either the luteal or the follicular phase. Vitamin E deficiency in patients with premenstrual syndrome was not shown by peripheral vitamin E levels in our study.