[Seasonal dynamics of the indices of humoral immunity in children aged 3 months to 1 year in relation to nutrition in an arid zone]. / Sezonnaia dinamika pokazatelei gumoral'nogoimmuniteta detei v vozraste ot 3 mes do 1 goda s uchetom pitaniia v usloviiakh aridnoi zony.

The paper reports seasonal data on humoral immunity of 245 Turkmen and 240 European infants aged 3-12 months. Allowances were made for climatic conditions of the arid zone and essential feeding. In summer there were reduced levels of IgM, IgG in the serum and insufficient supply with thiamine and ascorbic acid. IgA serum level was the lowest in spring. IgA strongly correlated (r = 0.7-0.8) with thiamine and ascorbic acid intake in spring, IgM and IgG with retinol and thiamine in summer. The above changes in humoral immunity in summer are associated with growing incidence of intestinal diseases and lower body mass in the infants in the condition of arid zone.

[Nutrition characteristics and ascorbic acid requirements in students living in an arid zone]. / Kharakteristika fakticheskogo pitaniia i potrebnost' v askorbinovoi kislote studentov v usloviiakh aridnoi zony.

Data are presented on the actual nutrition and providing with vitamin C in students of the V. I. Lenin Pedagogical Institute (Ashkhabad, Turkmenia). Twenty male students aged 18-24 years were investigated during the examination session in summer. Group 1 (12 subjects) received an additional dose of ascorbic acid (150 mg/day), group 2 (8 subjects) served as control. Diversion from the principles of the rational nutrition was established in the actual nutrition of the students investigated: in summer, due to low appetite, students eat low amounts of meat products, that results in the decreased content of animal proteins and fats in their daily rations as compared to the values recommended for this group of population. Vitamin C deficiency was also detected in the students studied. Additional intake of ascorbic acid in a dose of 150 mg/day has normalized their providing with this vitamin.