PLASMA-LEVELS OF VITAMIN-A, CAROTENOIDS A ND RETINOL-BINDING PROTEIN IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS AND DIARRHEAL DISEASES

The present study was carried out in order to assess the plasma levels of vitamin A, carotenoids and retinol binding protein (RBP) of three- hundred and eleven children aged from seven months to eleven years, wh o had a history of upper respiratory infection (URI), pneumonia and di arrhoea. The children were resident in the urban area of the Municipal ity of S. Paulo, Brazil, and were seen at the pediatric service of the one school-hospital. The data show that plasma vitamin A (mug/dl) and RBP (mg/dl) levels in the diarrhoea (15.2 mug/dl; 1.7 mg/dl) and pneu monia (15.2 mug/dl; 0.7 mg/dl) groups were lower (p<0.05) than those o bserved in the control (18.8 mug/dl; 2.6 mg/dl) and URI (19.0 mug/dl; 2.4 mg/dl) groups. The plasma carotenoid levels were lower in all grou ps than in the control group (p<0.05). These findings corroborate the results that show low levels of vitamin A in circulation during period of infection.