title: No strong long-term effect of vitamin A supplementation in infancy on CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets. A community study from Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.
abstract: The World Health Organization recommends that 100,000 IU of vitamin A be given to infants between 6 and 12 months of age at the same time as measles vaccination in order to prevent vitamin A deficiency. In the present study, our aim was to assess the effect of vitamin A supplementation on T-cell subsets in a randomized factorial design, seeking a possible modifying effect of measles vaccination. Three hundred children were allocated either to two doses of measles vaccine at 6 and 9 months of age or to poliomyelitis vaccine at age 6 months and measles vaccine at age 9 months. Within each group, infants were to receive two doses of vitamin A or two doses of placebo at 6 and 9 months of age. We found no significant effect of vitamin A supplementation on CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets at 3 and 9 months after supplementation. We found no effect of measles vaccine and no interaction between vitamin A supplementation and measles vaccine. Based on these observations, vitamin A supplementation does not seem to have a strong long-term effect on CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets in infants without clinical vitamin A deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 5 Artillerivej, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark. cb@ssi.dk
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Benn
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lisse
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bale
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Michaelsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hedegaard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aaby
mesh_terms: D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine; D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines; D014801:Vitamin A