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Published on: August 7, 2017
Serum vitamin A and beta-carotene levels in children with asthma
1Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. senaidy@ksu.edu.sa
Insights
Asthmatic children often have lower vitamin A levels than healthy children. This reduction in vitamin A may contribute to the development of asthma in children.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional immunology
- Pediatric respiratory medicine
Background:
- Low serum antioxidant levels are linked to allergic diseases like asthma.
- Vitamin A and carotenoids are key dietary antioxidants potentially mitigating airway inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum levels of vitamin A, beta-carotene, cholesterol, and triglycerides and asthma in schoolchildren.
- To determine if specific nutrient levels differ between asthmatic children and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 433 asthmatic children and 537 healthy controls, aged 6-18 years.
- Measurement of serum concentrations of beta-carotene, vitamin A, cholesterol, and triglycerides in all participants.
Main Results:
- Asthmatic children exhibited significantly lower serum vitamin A concentrations compared to healthy controls (19.4 ± 1.1 mg/dL vs. 28.9 ± 0.86 mg/dL, p < 0.001).
- No significant differences were observed in serum beta-carotene, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels between the two groups.
Conclusions:
- Reduced serum vitamin A levels in asthmatic children suggest a potential etiological role in the disease.
- Further research is warranted to explore the implications of vitamin A deficiency in pediatric asthma.
Background:
Low serum levels of dietary antioxidants are associated with allergic diseases including asthma. Vitamin A and carotenoids are dietary antioxidants that are likely to play an important role against airway inflammation.
Methods:
This study included 433 asthmatic schoolchildren and 537 healthy control subjects, between 6 and 18 years of age. Serum beta-carotene, vitamin A, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were studied in all subjects.
Results:
Serum vitamin A concentration was significantly lower in asthmatic subjects than in healthy control subjects (19.4 +/- 1.1 mg/dL vs. 28.9 +/- 0.86 mg/dL) (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the levels of beta-carotene, cholesterol, and triglycerides between the two groups.
Conclusion:
Reduction of vitamin A in asthmatic children may have etiological implications for the disease.
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