Serum Retinol Levels In Children Research Articles

Vitamin A improves the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders and decreases 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT): A pilot study

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complicated neurodevelopmental disorders. Many studies have demonstrated that children with autism have multiple nutritional deficiencies and increased serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels. In our previous study, 77.9% of autistic children were found to have vitamin A deficiency, and the concentration of vitamin A was negatively associated with the CARS score. In the present study, we sought to test whether vitamin A supplementation could improve autistic symptoms and decrease serum 5-HT levels. The DSM-V criteria and CARS score were used for symptom description and symptom assessment of the patients, respectively, before and after vitamin A supplementation (VAS). Serum retinol and 5-HT levels, mRNA levels of RAR α, β, and γ and TpH 1 expression were detected in autistic children before and after VAS and in normal children. Serum retinol levels in children with ASD were significantly lower than in control children. Serum 5-HT levels in children with ASD were higher than in control children, which were correlated with symptom severity of children with autism. After VA supplementation, the children with ASD exhibited significant improvement in autism symptoms. Serum retinol concentrations of children with ASD were significantly increased, and serum 5-HT levels were decreased. Moreover, statistically significant changes were observed in mRNA expression levels of RAR α, RAR γ and TpH 1 after VAS compared to baseline. This study suggested that VA supplementation may improve symptoms and reduce 5-HT levels in children with ASD, indicating that VA supplementation is a reasonable therapy at least for a subset of children with autism.

Vitamin A intake and serum retinol levels in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

Pancreatic insufficient cystic fibrosis (CF) patients receive vitamin A supplementation according to CF-specific recommendations to prevent deficiencies. Whether current recommendations are optimal for preventing both deficiency and toxicity is a subject of debate. We assessed the longitudinal relation between serum retinol levels and appropriate variables. We studied vitamin A intake, and the long-term effects of vitamin A intake, coefficient of fat absorption (CFA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) on serum retinol levels in 221 paediatrics CF patients during a seven-year follow up period. Total vitamin A intake, derived from 862 dietary assessments, exceeded the tolerable upper intake level in 30% of the assessments, mainly up to age six. Although CF patients failed to meet the CF-specific recommendations, serum retinol deficiency was found in only 17/862 (2%) of the measurements. Longitudinally, we observed no association to serum retinol levels for total vitamin A intake, CFA, gender or age but serum retinol levels were associated with serum IgG levels. Each g/L increase in serum IgG level would result in a 2.49% (95% CI -3.60 to-1.36%) reduction in serum retinol levels. In this large sample of children and adolescents with CF, serum retinol deficiency was rare despite lower than the CF-specific recommendations. However, the TUL was commonly exceeded. A reduction in CF-specific vitamin A supplementation recommendations should therefore be considered. Moreover, serum retinol levels were not associated with vitamin A intake, CFA, gender or age, although a decreased serum retinol was associated with an increased serum IgG.

202 Vitamin A intake and serum retinol levels in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

202 Vitamin A intake and serum retinol levels in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis

No enhancing effect of vitamin A administration on iron absorption or body total iron content in preschool children from Chengdu, China.

To explore the effect of vitamin A supplements on iron metabolic homeostasis for preschoolers. This was a randomized, placebo-controlled and blinded intervention trial with 3- to 6-y old preschoolers. A total of 445 subjects were randomly divided into four groups: a vitamin A supplementation group (group 1, a single oral dose of vitamin A as retinol 200,000 IU), an iron supplement group (group 2, daily oral supplement with the elemental iron 1-2 mg/kg/d for 5 d a week, lasting for 6 mo) a combined vitamin A and iron (group 3) and administration of no vitamin A or iron as a placebo-control (group 4). A total of 387 (95, 98, 90 and 104 from groups 1, 2, 3 and 4) children completed the intervention. After intervention, serum retinol levels of children in group 1 and group 3 was markedly higher than those of children in groups 2 and 4 (p<0.05). The serum ferritin level of children in group 1 significantly decreased after intervention (p<0.05), but increased in group 2 (p<0.05). The sTfR-SF index (TFR-F) and total body iron content (BTIC) showed the same change after intervention. In group 2 and group 3, the levels of TRF-F index and BTIC had statistically increased to the same degree after intervention (p<0.05). The impact of vitamin A intervention on iron metabolic homeostasis was mainly manifested in storage and mobilization; there was no direct effect on total body iron content or iron absorption in the intestine.

Vitamin A intake and elevated serum retinol levels in children and young adults with cystic fibrosis

Background Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and pancreatic insufficiency (PI) are at risk for fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, including vitamin A. Recent evidence suggests current practices of vitamin A intake results in elevated serum retinol. Methods Serum retinol was assessed in 78 subjects (8 to 25 years old) with CF and PI by high performance liquid chromatography, and compared to the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data of subjects of similar age and gender. Vitamin A intake, anthropometry and FEV 1 were measured, and their relationship to serum retinol status was assessed. Results Median (range) serum retinol was 80 μg/dL (33 to 208) in subjects with CF; 58% were above the NHANES reference range (30 to 72 μg/dL). Total vitamin A intake from diet and supplements was high (608 + 431% Recommended Dietary Allowance). Serum retinol was not correlated with vitamin A intake, age or gender, and was inversely correlated with weight and height z scores (r = − 0.28, p < 0.05) in the subjects with CF. Conclusions Both vitamin A intake and serum retinol were elevated in subjects with CF and PI, corroborating recent evidence of elevated serum retinol in preadolescent children with CF. These findings indicate the need for further study of dosing and monitoring care practices of vitamin A, to ensure adequacy and to avoid toxicity.

Vitamin A and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection-Reply

With concern about vitamin A toxic side effects, Dr Donnelly wonders if the children with respiratory syncytial virus infection in our study 1 would have benefited more if we had given them β-carotene, a vitamin A precursor, rather than vitamin A solution. We found that a onetime oral administration of 100 000IU of vitamin A for 21 inpatient children infected with respiratory syncytial virus did not provide any measurable clinical benefit or cause vitamin A toxic effects. The dose of vitamin A in our study was based on the World Health Organization–United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund recommendations for the use of vitamin A for measles. 2 Evidence from African studies 3-5 have shown that vitamin A, not β-carotene, benefits patients with measles. The mean serum retinol levels in children with acute measles infection in those studies were approximately half of that in the US children with respiratory syncytial virus