Lack of association between vitamin A status and measures of conjunctival epithelial integrity in young children in northern Ghana.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between vitamin A status and conjunctival epithelial function in young children in rural northern Ghana and to consider whether impaired epithelial function was associated with increased measures of systemic infection in these children.


METHODS
Children were selected from the Ghana Vitamin A Supplementation Trials' Child Health Study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of vitamin A supplementation on morbidity. Treatment group and serum retinol concentrations were used as measures of vitamin A status, conjunctival impression cytology and tear IgA concentrations as measures of conjunctival epithelial integrity, and serum immunoglobulin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein concentrations as indicators of chronic or acute systemic infection.


METHODS
Children 13-64 months old.


METHODS
60 mg retinol as retinyl palmitate every 4 months for 1 year.


RESULTS
Vitamin A status was not significantly associated with epithelial integrity nor with measures of systemic infection. Impaired conjunctival epithelial integrity was also not associated with increased systemic infection.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no evidence for a major role of improved epithelial integrity and function on the biochemical indices of chronic or acute systemic infection after vitamin A supplementation. These data support the observations in the main study that vitamin A supplementation did not improve conjunctival impression cytology nor decrease the prevalence of most morbidity symptoms.
Filteau
S M
SM
Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, London.
Morris
S S
SS
Tomkins
A M
AM
Arthur
P
P
Kirkwood
B R
BR
Ross
D A
DA
Abbott
R A
RA
Gyapong
J O
JO
D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000378:metabolism; D012424:Rural Population; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D009961:Orosomucoid; D014801:Vitamin A