title: [Serum vitamin A determinations and their value in determining vitamin A status].
abstract: As demonstrated in the literature on vitamin A metabolism and homeostasis of retinol in serum, the concentration of retinol in serum is regulated very exactly if the liver stores are within the physiological range (20-300 micrograms/g liver). Therefore, the serum level indicates the status of vitamin A storage only if there is an extreme depletion or overconsumption of vitamin A. At marginal depletion, however, there is damage to peripheral tissue before changes in the vitamin A level in serum occur. At the beginning of hypervitaminosis A, changes in the level of vitamin A in serum also occur later. Therefore, the determination of vitamin A in serum gives no information on the adequacy of liver reserves for judging the necessity of a substitution.
authors.affiliation: Physiologisch-Chemisches Institut II, Universität Mainz.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gerlach
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Biesalski
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Bässler
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006986:Hypervitaminosis A / Q000097:blood; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A
vernacular_title: Serum-Vitamin-A-Bestimmungen und ihre Aussagekraft zum Vitamin-A-Status.