P-Ethanolamine, Plasma

– Cytosolic phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine have been shown to provide prognostic factors in breast cancer. Phosphoethanolamine is elevated in patients with high rates of breast tumor growth. As the stage of the disease progresses, the values of phosphoethanolamine plus ethanolamine become higher.

– Increased plasma and urinary phosphoethanolamine is found in individuals with osteopenia associated with “adult” hypophosphatasia (=a rare genetic disorder), along with subnormal circulating total alkaline phosphatase activity. However, phosphoethanolaminuria is not pathognomonic of Hypophosphatasia and can occur in other disorders, including several metabolic bone diseases.

– High phosphoethanolamine may indicate functional impairment of acetylcholine synthesis. Functional vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency, or disordered methionine metabolism (i.e. inhibition of methyl group transfer), may account for high phosphoethanolamine. Therefore, high phosphoethanolamine may indicate need for SAMe, vitamin B12, folate and betaine.

– Ethanolamine and phosphoethanolamine are precursors of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The conversion of ethanolamine to phosphoethanolamine involves a magnesium dependent kinase. When ethanolamine is high or normal and phosphoethanolamine is low, there is a presumptive need for magnesium.

P-Ethanolamine, Plasma is short for Phosphoethanolamine (PEA). Phosphoethanolamine (PEA) is a marker measured in the plasma as part of an Amino Acid Profile, Quantitative (Qn) panel. This compound is a derivative of the amino acid serine and plays a critical role in the biosynthesis of phospholipids, which are essential components of cell membranes. In the body, PEA serves as a precursor to phosphatidylethanolamine, one of the most abundant phospholipids in cell membranes, and is involved in various cellular processes, including membrane signaling and repair. Elevated levels of phosphoethanolamine in the plasma can indicate metabolic disruptions or inherited metabolic disorders such as phosphoethanolaminuria, where there is an abnormal accumulation of PEA due to enzyme deficiencies.