Serum Concentrations of Carotenoids and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Relation to Nutritional Status of Patients with Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to determine serum concentrations of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs) in ovarian cancer (OC) patients categorized by clinical and nutritional status and to compare obtained results with healthy controls. We used single-step extraction methods throughout the study. Serum concentrations of the bioactive compounds were measured using HPLC. The evaluation of the nutritional status of patients was performed with scored PG-SGA questionnaire.

The serum bioactive compound levels were significantly lower in early-stage OC patients (FIGO I/II) when compared to healthy controls for all-trans-retinoic acid, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, all-trans-retinol, astaxanthin, zeaxanthin, lycopene and α-carotene, respectively. In patients with advanced-stage of OC (FIGO III/IV) the mean serum concentrations of carotenoids and FSVs were significantly lower than in healthy controls, excluding lutein and β + γ-tocopherol levels. Patients with OC and concomitant moderate or severe malnourishment showed significantly lower levels of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol and all-trans-retinol. It seems that our extraction and measurement methods for the bioactive compounds could be used in both, clinical and nutritional studies. The obtained results confirm that the PG-SGA assessment might be considered not only as a malnutrition assessment tool, but also for planning early nutritional intervention in patients with OC.

Disclosure Statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Author Contributions

KMT: study design, data collection, data generation, data analysis, data interpretation, manuscript writing; BD: study design, data collection, data generation, data analysis, data interpretation, manuscript writing; MK: data collection, manuscript writing; SJT: study design, data analysis, data interpretation, manuscript writing; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The research was financed from the statutory subsidy obtained by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Medical University of Bialystok.