Abstract
Serum concentrations of prealbumin, cholesterol, carotene, and retinol binding protein in inhabitants living in rural areas along the coast in Japan and China were examined. The subjects were healthy adults (250 males and 436 females in Japan, and 88 males and 133 females in China), more than 30 years old. Serum cholesterol, prealbumin, retinol binding protein, and carotene concentrations were lower in both male and female Chinese. Serum carotene concentrations were lower in males (Japanese: 35.2μg/dl, Chinese: 18.7μg/dl) than in females (Japanese: 74.9μg/dl, Chinese: 25.8μg/dl). In contrast, the mean values of retinol binding protein were slightly higher in males than in females both in Japanese and Chinese. These results were closely related to dietary habits in both areas.
These results suggest that continuous lower levels of prealbumin, cholesterol and carotene may be associated with the earlier onset and higher incidence of cancer in Chinese.
