[Effects of vitamin A and iron supplementation on the improvement of iron status and immunological function in preschool children].
OBJECTIVE
In order to understand the changes in immunological function in rural preschool children with lower levels of vitamin A and iron, and the effect of vitamin A and iron supplementation on the improvement of iron status and immunological function.


METHODS
Serum vitamin A concentration and hemoglobin (Hb), serum iron (SI), transferrin saturation (TS), serum ferritin (SF) were determined in 270 rural preschool children aged 3-7 years in Beijing, and the subjects were divided into four groups based on their determinations: control, lower serum vitamin A, lower iron, and both lower iron and serum vitamin A. Forty subjects were selected from each group, and serum IgA, IgG, IgM and interleukin-2 (IL-2) were determined for them. Forty-one subjects who had lower iron and lower serum vitamin A (< 1.12 mumol/L) were divided into two groups: one of them supplemented with 30 mg iron element (ferrous sulfate 0.15 g) once a day for 8 weeks, and the other group supplemented with iron and 12,500 IU vitamin A twice a week for 8 weeks. After supplementation of vitamin A and iron, their serum vitamin A, hematological iron index and serum immunological index were determined again for the two groups.


RESULTS
Serum IgM were (1,260 +/- 310) mg/L in both lower iron and serum vitamin A groups, significantly higher than that in normal group (1,070 +/- 170) mg/L (P < 0.05). But there were no significant differences in serum levels of IgG, IgA and IL-2. After supplementation of iron and vitamin A, their serum TS increased to (26.5 +/- 8.6)%, significantly higher than that before supplementation and that supplemented with iron only (22.3 +/- 3.8)%. And, their serum IL-2 were (278.9 +/- 117.7) ng/L after supplementation, significantly higher than that before supplementation (161.6 +/- 90.3) ng/L and that in those supplemented with iron only (189.5 +/- 89.3) ng/L. There was no significant difference in other biochemical indices of iron and immunological indices.


CONCLUSIONS
Supplementation with vitamin A and iron was helpful to improve body iron nutritional status and immunological function obviously in preschool children with iron-deficiency and sub-clinical deficiency of vitamin A.
Lin
X
X
Faculty of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Tang
Y
Y
Long
Z
Z
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014168:Transferrin; D014801:Vitamin A; D007501:Iron