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Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 1996 42(3):158-161; doi:10.1093/tropej/42.3.158
© 1996 by Oxford University Press
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Significance of Very Low Retinol Levels During Severe Protein-energy Malnutrition

T. Goetghebuer*, D. Brasseur*, M. Dramaix**, P. De Mol***, P. Donnen{dagger}, P. Bahwere{dagger}{dagger},{dagger}{dagger}, J. Duchateau*** and P. Hennart**,{dagger}

*Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola Brussels, Belgium
**School for Public Health Brussels, Belgium
***Hôpital Universitaire Saint-Pierre Brussels, Belgium
{dagger}Centre Scientifique et Médical de I'Université Libre de Bruxelles pour ses Activités de Coopération (CEMUBAC) Brussels, Belgium
{dagger}{dagger}Université Libre de Buxelles Brussels, Belgium
{dagger}{dagger}Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles (CRSN) Lwiro, Zaïre

In developing countries, severe vitamin A deficiency is associated with increased child mortality. In Kivu, Zaïre, child mortality rate is approximately 50 per 1000 per year and protein calorie malnutrition is endemic. To evaluate vitamin A status in this population, we measured plasma retinol levels in 28 severely malnourished hospitalized children (plasma albumin level below 3 g/dl), and in 153 outpatients (mean plasma albumin level: 3.19±0.7 g/dl) as controls. Sixty per cent of inpatients and 37 per cent of out-patients had retinol levels below 10 µg/dl (P = 0.02) suggesting a high prevalence of severe vitamin A deficiency in this population. We found that plasma retinol levels were correlated with low retinol binding protein plasma levels (r=0.77). We conclude that although vitamin A deficiency probably exists in this malnourished population, low retinol levels could at least partly be related to decreased levels of its carrier protein.


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