Original Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 1412–1418; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602881; published online 8 August 2007
Effect of vitamin A supplementation on immune function of well-nourished children suffering from vitamin A deficiency in China
J Lin1,2, F Song1,2, P Yao1,2, X Yang1,2, N Li1,2, S Sun1,2, L Lei1,2 and L Liu1,2
- 1Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, PR China
- 2Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, PR China
Correspondence: Professor L Liu, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, PR China. E-mail: lgliu@mails.tjmu.edu.cn
Received 4 October 2006; Revised 30 April 2007; Accepted 30 April 2007; Published online 8 August 2007.
Abstract
Objective:
To clearly clarify the protective effect of vitamin A supplementation on immune function of well-nourished children suffering from vitamin A deficiency.
Methods:
Three hundred sixty-two children in two kindergartens in Wuhan China were enrolled. Detailed dietary assessment and anthropometry were undertaken to facilitate the exclusion of malnourished children. Seventy vitamin A-deficient children with informed consent were randomly divided into the vitamin A-deficient-supplemented group and vitamin A-deficient placebo group, 35 vitamin A-sufficient children (age- and sex-matched with the vitamin A-deficient-supplemented group children) were selected as vitamin A-sufficient placebo group. The baseline and follow-up level of selected immune parameters of the 105 children in three intervention groups were compared.
Results:
The total proportion of severe and marginal vitamin A-deficient children was 10.9 and 21.96%, respectively. At baseline, the serum complement C3 and sIgA level of vitamin A-sufficient children was significantly higher than that of vitamin A-deficient children (P<0.05). However, the serum lysozyme level of vitamin A-sufficient children was inversely lower. After intervention, vitamin A-deficient-supplemented children increased serum vitamin A, complement C3 and sIgA level, but their serum lysozyme level inversely decreased.
Conclusions:
Vitamin A deficiency was still a serious health problem in children in China cities. Vitamin A supplementation was efficacious in ameliorating serum vitamin A status and partially impaired immune function of well-nourished children suffering from vitamin A deficiency.
Keywords:
vitamin A deficiency, immune function, vitamin A supplementation, well-nourished children
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