Phosphoethanolamine

Optimal result: 1 – 9 micromol/g creatinine

Genova Diagnostics

By Healthmatters Editorial Team

Peer-reviewed sources

Magnesium and manganese are enzymatic cofactors in the metabolism of phosphoethanolamine. Deficiencies in these nutrients may contribute to elevated levels.

The precursor to phosphoethanolamine is ethanolamine. Gut microbiome imbalances can influence ethanolamine levels. With that, elevated phosphoethanolamine has also been associated with gastrointestinal microbiome imbalance. Clinically, elevated phosphoethanolamine is associated with a rare condition called hypophosphatasia which results in the abnormal development of teeth and bones. Zinc and magnesium deficiencies further complicate this condition.

Decreased levels of precursors in the production of phosphoethanolamine, or lack of cofactors needed within the pathway, may contribute to low levels. Clinically, reduced plasma levels of phosphoethanolamine have been significantly correlated with depressed mood, diminished interest or pleasure, psychomotor change, psychomotor retardation, and major depressive disorder (MDD), making this a potential biomarker for MDD. Habitual alcohol intake was also a related to low phosphoethanolamine levels.

Phosphoethanolamine is an intermediate in the serine-to-choline sequence. It is both a precursor and byproduct of phospholipid biosynthesis and breakdown. As a precursor to the phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphoethanolamine plays a key role in myelination. Elevated phosphoethanolamine reflects brain phospholipid turnover, an indicator of neural membrane synthesis and signal transduction. Research into neurologic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease suggests that depletions of both phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine accompany neuronal death. Phosphoethanolamine is also important in cartilage structure and function, especially in bone and teeth.

References:

- Henneberry AL, McMaster CR. Cloning and expression of a human choline/ethanolaminephosphotransferase: synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Biochem J. 1999;339 ( Pt 2)(Pt 2):291-298.

- Horibata Y, Hirabayashi Y. Identification and characterization of human ethanolaminephosphotransferase1. J Lipid Res. 2007;48(3):503-508.

- Kawamura N, Shinoda K, Sato H, et al. Plasma metabolome analysis of patients with major depressive disorder. Psych Clin Neurosci. 2018;72(5):349-361.

- Ellison DW, Beal MF, Martin JB. Phosphoethanolamine and ethanolamine are decreased in Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Brain Res. 1987;417(2):389-392.

- Roberts SJ, Stewart AJ, Sadler PJ, Farquharson C. Human PHOSPHO1 exhibits high specific phosphoethanolamine and phosphocholine phosphatase activities. Biochem J. 2004;382(Pt 1):59-65.

- Nowicki EM, O’Brien JP, Brodbelt JS, Trent MS. Extracellular zinc induces phosphoethanolamine addition to Pseudomonas aeruginosa lipid A via the ColRS twocomponent system. Molec Microbiol. 2015;97(1):166-178.

- Jo S-H, Park H-G, Song W-S, et al. Structural characterization of phosphoethanolamine-modified lipid A from probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917. RSC Adv. 2019;9(34):19762-19771.

- Mornet E. Hypophosphatasia. Metab: Clin Exp. 2018;82:142- 155.

- Weismann K, Høyer H. Serum alkaline phosphatase and serum zinc levels in the diagnosis and exclusion of zinc deficiency in man. Am J Clin Nutr. 1985;41(6):1214-1219.

- Ray CS, Singh B, Jena I, Behera S, Ray S. Low alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in adult population an indicator of zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) deficiency. Curr Res Nutr Food Sci J. 2017;5(3):347-352.

- Fukushima K, Kawai-Kowase K, Yonemoto Y, et al. Adult hypophosphatasia with compound heterozygous p.Phe327Leu missense and c.1559delT frameshift mutations in tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase gene: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2019;13(1):101.

Organize and understand all your lab results

Start organizing — $15/mo →

For Health Professionals Healthmatters Pro Multiple clients’ results in one dashboard. See Pro plans →

Phosphoethanolamine

Every lab result you’ve ever had, charted and explained.

Healthmatters is a tracker for your lab results. Upload a report from any lab, any country — every marker charted and explained.

Start with my report →

Clinical Sources & References

All our content is backed by peer-reviewed studies, academic research, and trusted medical sources. We’re committed to accuracy and transparency — see our editorial policy for details.

Article Review Log

Written by Healthmatters Editorial Team

Organize and understand all your lab results

Start organizing — $15/mo →

For Health Professionals Healthmatters Pro Multiple clients’ results in one dashboard. See Pro plans →

Healthmatters Lifetime Plan

Pay $250. Track your health forever

One payment. No renewals. Yours for life.

10,000+ biomarkers explained · trends over time

See other plans →

Secure checkout via Stripe · GDPR & HIPAA

We accept results from any lab

LabCorp Quest Diagnostics Genova Diagnostics DUTCH Test Doctor's Data Vibrant America ZRT Laboratory Cyrex Labs + any other lab

What members are saying

★★★★★ 10,000+ happy members

★★★★★

"Watching my numbers move over the years — instead of forgetting last time's results — completely changed how I manage my health."

Daniel

Member since 2022

★★★★★

"Living across several countries made keeping my lab results organized a real challenge. Healthmatters brought my results from the USA, Spain, and Germany together — 20 years of history, with long-term trends instead of scattered reports."

Ben

Member since 2021 · tracks across countries

★★★★★

"Standard lab ranges are too wide for how I practice — 'normal' isn't optimal. I set my own bands, so a client sees yellow before a marker goes officially out of range. That's the conversation I want to be having."

Dr. Alexandra

Functional medicine · 6 yrs on Pro