Plasma Vitamin A Concentration In Children With Acute Pneumonia And The Correlation With Clinical Factors

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin A deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of infectious respiratory tract diseases in children,the aim of this study was to investigate the plasma Vitamin A concentration in children with acute pneumonia,and investigate the association between plasma level of vitamin A with scocial variables,severity of pneumonia,pathogen detection Etc.METHODS: A retrospective analysis which include 722 cases of acute pneumonia children from respiratory ward of Chongqing Children's Hospital(mean age: 11.41±13.13months)and 184 cases of healthy children(mean age: 12.66±12.07months) from child health care department.we evaluated the plasma VA levels during acute phases,compared with the healthy children and investigate the association between VAD and duration, temperature and pathogen detection etc.RESULTS:Mean plasma Vitamin A concentration were significantly lower in the pneumonia children than in the heathy children (0.87±0.32vs1.14±0.34umol/L, p < 0.05).The frequency of vitamin A deficiency(<0.7umol/L) was 33.80% and 11.96% for the pneumonia children and healthy children,respectively.The highest frequency of VAD was found in the early age less than six months,with the rate of 43.60%,there were statistacally significant association between the early age group and the another three group. Of the 68 severe pneumonia children, 64.71% had VAD,Although the 654 mild pneumonia children had the VAD rate of 30.58%.Acute pneumonia children accompany with the symptoms of fever and diarrhea had higher VAD prevalence than the children without these symptoms(37.92% vs 29.08% ,p=0.009)( 41.11% vs 29.85%, p =0.005).Of the 722 children, 241 had VAD and 481 children had the vitamin A concentration more than 0.7 umol/L.among the 241children, 59.84% of them were detected with bacterial infection,and among the 481 children, 48.95% of them were detected with bacterial infection.there were statistacally significant association between the two group(59.84% vs 48.95%, p=0.006).CONCLUSION: Plasma Vitamin A concentration were significantly lower and the frequency of vitamin A deficiency were significantly higher in the pneumonia children than in the heathy children. There were statistacally significant association between VAD and duration, temperature,diarrhea, severity of pneumonia and pathogen detection Etc.