Vitamin A Status of Steady State Sickle Cell Anaemia Patients Compared to Normal Control in Maiduguri North Eastern Nigeria.

Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited disorder of haemoglobin characterized by sickled red blood cells and increased destruction of these cells. Antioxidants protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals. The aim of this study was to determine antioxidant vitamin A in steady state sickle cell anaemia patients and that of controls in Maiduguri, Borno state North-Eastern Nigeria. The study was carried out at UMTH Maiduguri. Sixty sickle cell anaemia patients were compared with sixty controls, aged ranged 1 year 3 months to 33 years of age, using HPLC for vitamin A status. The mean vitamin A in sickle cell patients according to age ranged between 0.047±0.002 to 0.053±0.002 mg/ml, while that of controls is 0.053± 0.001 to 0.091±0.001 mg/ml. The maximum mean serum vitamin A (0.053±0.001 mg/ml), in SCA was found in the business and children groups while the minimum vitamin A (0.039±0.001 mg/ml) was recorded in the un-employed SCA patients. The study showed the antioxidant vitamin A was found to be lower in the SCA subjects than in normal control in all age groups. Level of education also plays a role in the level of antioxidant vitamins in the blood.

Vitamin A status of 20- to 59-year-old adults living in Seoul and the metropolitan area, Korea

Dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of retinol and carotenoids were estimated in assessing the vitamin A status of Korean adults living in Seoul and the metropolitan area. Three consecutive 24-h food recalls were collected from 106 healthy subjects (33 males and 73 females) aged 20-59 years. Fasting blood samples of the subjects were obtained and plasma retinol and carotenoids were analyzed. The daily vitamin A intakes (mean +/- SD) were 887.77 +/- 401.35 microg retinol equivalents or 531.84 +/- 226.42 microg retinol activity equivalents. There were no significant differences in vitamin A intakes among age groups. The retinol intake of subjects was 175.92 +/- 129.87 microg/day. The retinol intake of the subjects in their 50's was significantly lower than those in their 20's and 30's (P < 0.05). Provitamin A carotenoid intakes were 3,828.37 +/- 2,196.29 microg/day beta-carotene, 472.57 +/- 316.68 microg/day alpha-carotene, and 412.83 +/- 306.46 microg/day beta-cryptoxanthin. Approximately 17% of the subjects consumed vitamin A less than the Korean Estimated Average Requirements for vitamin A. The plasma retinol concentration was 1.22 +/- 0.34 micromol/L. There was no significant difference in plasma retinol concentrations among age groups. However, the concentrations of beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein of subjects in their 50's were significantly higher than those of in their 20's. Only one subject had a plasma retinol concentration < 0.70 micromol/L indicating marginal vitamin A status. Plasma retinol concentration in 30% of the subjects was 0.70- < 1.05 micromol/L, which is interpreted as the concentration possibly responsive to greater intake of vitamin A. In conclusion, dietary intakes and status of vitamin A were generally adequate in Korean adults examined in this study.

Dietary plant food and socioeconomic determinants of vitamin A status : study in rural lactating woman during crisis in Central Java.

For the Longer term food-based approaches for controlling vitamin A deficiency and its consequences, become increasingly important. A nutrition survailance system in Central-Java, Indonesia assessed vitamin A intake and serum retinol concentration of lactating women with a child ≤36 mo old during crisis. Median vitamin A intake was 319 RE/d and night blindness 0,34%. Serum retinol concentration (mean : 1,23 µmol/L) was related to vitamin A intake in a dose-concentration manner. The multiple logistic regression model for predicting the chance for a serum retinol concentration > observed median of the population (≥1,27 µ mol/L) included determinant factors, vitamin A intake from plant foods (OR [95% CI] per quartile, 1st : 1.00, 2nd: 1,63 [0,99-2,80], 3rd: 1,99 [1,58-2,99], and 4th: 2,62 [1,68-4,04], from, animal foods (1st and 2nd: 1,00. 3rd: 1,37 [0,89-2,09] and 4th: 2,86 [1,59-3,98] ). Homegardening (no 1,00, yes 1,88 [1,08-2,68] ) and woman’s education level (≤ primary school : 1,00 ≥ secondary school : 1,46 [1,00-2,16] ). Thus, although contributing 16 times more to total vitamin A intake plant foods were as important for vitamin A status as animal foods. Homegardening and woman’s education level seem to reflect longer-term consumption of plant and animal foods respectively.