α-Tocopherol Dietary Supplement Decreases Titers of Antibody against 5-Hydroxymethyl-2′-Deoxyuridine (HMdU)

• Published in: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention Vol. 8; no. 8; pp. 693 - 698
• Main Authors: HU, J. J, CHUAN XIANG CHI, FRENKEL, K, SMITH, B. N, HENFELT, J. J, BERWICK, M, MAHABIR, S, D'AGOSTINO, R. B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.08.1999
• Subjects: Adult; Autoantibodies - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Deoxyuridine - analogs & derivatives; Dietary Supplements; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Other treatments; Reactive Oxygen Species; Treatment. General aspects; Tumors; Vitamin E - pharmacology; Vitamin E - therapeutic use; Human; Oxidative stress; Chemoprophylaxis; Tumor promotor; Inflammation; Monoclonal antibody; Malignant tumor; E-Vitamins; Antioxidant; Ionizing irradiation; Diet; DNA; Phase II trial; Double blind study; Biological effect
• ISSN: 1055-9965; 1538-7755

This study evaluated the effects of vitamin E (α-tocopherol) on oxidative DNA damage in a randomized double-blind Phase II chemoprevention trial. Oxidative DNA damage was measured by the level of auto-antibody (Ab) against 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxyuridine (HMdU) in plasma. After the baseline screening, eligible subjects ( n = 31; plasma samples from 28 subjects were available for this study) were randomized to receive 15, 60, or 200 mg of α-tocopherol per day for 28 days. Biomarkers were measured twice at baseline—on day 1 (visit 1) and day 3 (visit 2)—and twice after intervention—on day 17 (visit 3) and day 31 (visit 4). At baseline, there was a highly significant inverse correlation between anti-HMdU Ab titer and plasma vitamin E level ( r = −0.53; P = 0.004; n = 28). Smoking did not affect baseline anti-HMdU Ab titer; however, anti-HMdU Ab titer levels at baseline were significantly lower in subjects with above-median (0.75 ounce/day) alcohol consumption ( P = 0.008). No significant change in anti-HMdU Ab level occurred at either visit 3 or visit 4 for subjects on the lowest dose, 15 mg α-tocopherol per day. Subjects receiving 60 mg of α-tocopherol per day had a significant decrease in anti-HMdU Ab level at visits 3 and 4 compared with baseline ( P = 0.049 and P = 0.02, respectively). However, subjects receiving the highest dose, 200 mg/day, had less consistent results: a significant decrease in anti-HMdU Ab level was seen at visit 4 ( P = 0.04) but not at visit 3. Our results demonstrate an inverse relationship between α-tocopherol and anti-HMdU Abs in plasma; oxidative DNA damage can be modulated by short-term dietary supplementation of α-tocopherol in some subjects.