Níveis plasmáticos de vitamina A, carotenóides e proteína ligadora de retinol em crianças com infecções respiratórias agudas e doenças diarréicas Plasma levels of vitamin A, carotenoids and retinol binding protein in children with acute respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases

Abstract

Planejou-se um estudo com o objetivo de se avaliar os níveis plasmáticos de vitamina A, carotenóides e proteína ligadora de retinol (RBP) em 311 crianças, de 7 meses a onze anos de idade, com história de infecções das vias aéreas superiores (IVAS), pneumonia e diarréia, residentes na área urbana da Cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, e atendidas no serviço de pediatria de um hospital-escola. As dosagens de vitamina A e carotenóides realizaram-se pelo método de Neeld-Pearson e o RBP pelo método de Mancini. Os níveis plasmáticos de vitamina A (µg/dl) e RBP (mg/dl) foram mais baixos (pThe 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, who had a history of upper respiratory infection (URI), pneumonia and diarrhoea. The children were resident in the urban area of the Municipality of S. Paulo, Brazil, and were seen at the pediatric service of the one school-hospital. The data show that plasma vitamin A (µg/dl) and RBP (mg/ dl) levels in the diarrhoea (15.2 µg/dl; 1.7 mg/dl) and pneumonia (15.2 µg/dl; 0.7 mg/dl) groups were lower (p<0.05) than those observed in the control (18.8 µg/dl; 2.6 mg/dl) and URI (19.0 µg/dl; 2.4 mg/dl) groups. The plasma carotenoid levels were lower in all groups 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.

Keywords

• Vitamina A
• Carotenóides
• Proteínas de ligação do retinol
• Infecções respiratórias
• Diarréia
• Vitamin A
• Carotenoids
• Retinolbinding proteins
• Respiratory tract infections
• Diarrhea