SERUM RETINOL AND BIOCHEMICAL MEASURES OF IRON STATUS IN ADOLESCENT SCHOOLGIRLS IN URBAN BANGLADESH

Objective: To examine the relationship between serum retinol and bioch emical indices of iron nutritional status amongst adolescent girls in urban Bangladesh. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Girls' hig h schools in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Subjects: Adolescent girls, n = 2 25, aged between 12 and 15 years, from four urban schools participated in the study. Information on socio-economic conditions were obtained using a questionnaire. The height and weight of each girl were measure d and a sample of blood was taken for biochemical analyses. Results: T wenty-two per cent of the participants were found to be anaemic (Hb < 120 g/l), 15% had subnormal serum iron (< 7.16 mu mol/l) and about 25% were iron deficient judged by serum transferrin saturation (TS < 15%) . Eleven per cent of the participants had low levels of serum retinol (< 1.05 mu mol/l). Anaemic girls (n = 51) were found to have significa ntly lower serum retinol as well as lower packed cell volume (PCV), me an corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), serum iron, TS, and h igher serum total iron binding capacity (TIBC) compared with those wit h normal haemoglobin levels. When the girls were classified by serum r etinol, the third with the highest serum retinol had significantly hig her levels of haemoglobin, PCV, MCHC and serum iron levels. When age, family size, family income, expenditure on food, education of the pare nts, supplementation with vitamin A or iron and menstruation at the ti me of study were accounted for by multiple regression analysis, a stro ng relationship was found for serum retinol concentration with PCV, MC HC, haemoglobin, serum iron and TS. For 1 mu mol/l change in serum ret inol concentration there was a 10.1 g/l change in haemoglobin whilst t aking other factors into account. Conclusion: The data indicate that t here is an interaction between serum retinol and biochemical indices o f iron nutriture in adolescent girls who do not display any clinical s igns of overt deficiency. Sponsorship: University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and TG Taylor Memorial Fund, Southampton, UK. Descriptors: Adolescent girls, serum retinol, haemoglobin, serum iron, transferrin saturation