title: [Malnutrition and hypovitaminosis A in AIDS patients].
abstract: Anthropometric measurements and biochemical determinations were performed on HIV-infected individuals and on patients with AIDS from the Ribeirão Preto region, SP, Brazil, in order to evaluate their nutritional and vitamin A status. Plasma retinol was measured by HPLC, and hepatic vitamin A stores were evaluated by the relative dose response (RDR) test. Patients with AIDS presented significant undernutrition, with more marked alterations in the body fat compartment and a relative preservation of the parameters related to muscle mass (pattern of malnutrition predominantly of the marasmus type). Plasma retinol values below 1.05 mumol/L were observed in 25% of the patients with AIDS and in 17.3% of HIV-infected patients and RDR values indicating low body stores of vitamin A were detected in 28% of the subjects. There was no correlation between serum retinol levels and CD4 lymphocyte counts, clinical diagnosis of AIDS, low BMI or AFI. On the other hand, hypovitaminosis A status was associated with low BMI.
authors.affiliation: Divisão de Moléstias Infecciosas e Tropicais, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jordão Júnior
authors.forename: M do R
authors.initials: Mdo R
authors.lastname: de Unamuno
authors.lastname: Rodrigues M deL
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vannucchi
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A