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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
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Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels

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Vitamin A status and airway infection in mechanically ventilated very-low-birth-weight neonates

J P Shenai1, F Chytil, R A Parker

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Pediatric Pulmonology
|May 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Airway infections in premature infants are linked to lower vitamin A levels. Vitamin A (retinol) status significantly declines during infection and recovers afterward, highlighting its role in infant immunity.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Nutritional Immunology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Vitamin A (retinol) is crucial for immune function.
  • Low vitamin A is observed in children with respiratory and enteral infections.
  • The impact of airway infections on vitamin A status in VLBW neonates is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between airway infections and vitamin A status in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) neonates.
  • To examine changes in plasma vitamin A and retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations during and after airway infections in VLBW infants.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 20 VLBW neonates (birth weight 700-1300g, gestational age 26-30 weeks) requiring prolonged ventilation.
  • Weekly measurements of plasma vitamin A and RBP were taken over 4 weeks.
  • Changes in vitamin A levels were compared between periods with and without airway infections.

Main Results:

  • Seventeen infants experienced 22 episodes of airway infection, predominantly by Staphylococcus epidermidis.
  • Plasma vitamin A concentrations decreased significantly during infection (mean change: -4.1 to -18.6 µg/dL).
  • Vitamin A levels were significantly lower during infection compared to before and 2 weeks after (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Airway infections in VLBW neonates are associated with a significant decline in vitamin A status.
  • Vitamin A (retinol) levels improve following the resolution of airway infections.
  • These findings underscore the importance of monitoring and potentially supplementing vitamin A in VLBW infants prone to respiratory infections.

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