title: The significance of vitamin A and carotenoid status in persons infected by the human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Hyporetinemia is associated with increased childhood morbidity and mortality that is reversible with vitamin A supplementation. Although vitamin A deficiency is otherwise rare in developed countries, the prevalence of hyporetinemia in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons is up to 29%. Hyporetinemic HIV-infected patients have a 3.5-5-fold increased risk of death. Furthermore, HIV-infected patients with very low or very high intake of vitamin A and beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor) have greater rates of disease progression than do patients with intermediate intake. In developing countries up to 60% of HIV-infected pregnant women are hyporetinemic. In such women the relative risk of perinatal HIV transmission may be increased more than fourfold. These data indicate that vitamin A deficiency is common in HIV-infected patients in the developed world and strongly suggest that vitamin A supplementation may be especially useful in adjunctive therapy for HIV-infected pregnant women who reside in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Los Angeles, California 90073, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nimmagadda
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Goetz
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D011247:Pregnancy; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids