VITAMIN-A STATUS IN CHILDREN WITH PNEUMONIA

Objective: To assess vitamin A status in children with pneumonia. Inte rventions: Thirty-four hospitalised patients with pneumonia were rando mly allocated into two groups: the study group, besides the routine tr eatment, received a high dose of aqueous retinyl palmitate oral soluti on; the control group received only the routine treatment. Methods: Th e concentrations of plasma vitamin A and carotenoids were determined b y colorimetric method. Retinol binding protein (REP) was determined by the radial immunodiffusion technique. Results: After 1 week of treatm ent there was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in the l evels (mean +/- s.e.) of vitamin A (study group: 14.1 +/- 1.6 to 26.5 +/- 5.8 mu g/dl; control group: 16.1 +/- 3.3 to 24.1 +/- 2.3 mu g/dl) and REP (study group: 0.8 +/- 0.2 to 2.2 +/- 0.6 mg/dl; control group: 0.6 +/- 0.2 to 3.0 +/- 0.5 mg/dl) in both groups as compared to the b aseline. On day 7 of treatment when the average levels of vitamin A (2 6.5 +/- 5.8 and 24.1 +/- 2.3 mu g/dl) were compared, there was no stat istically significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: This study suggests that low levels of circulating plasma vitamin A in chil d with pneumonia may be a consequence of acute phase of infectious dis ease.