title: Vitamin A supplementation and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 shedding in women: results of a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: Observational studies have associated vitamin A deficiency with vaginal shedding of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1-infected cells and mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission. To assess the effect of vitamin A supplementation on vaginal shedding of HIV-1, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 6 weeks of daily oral vitamin A (10,000 IU of retinyl palmitate) was conducted among 400 HIV-1-infected women in Mombasa, Kenya. At follow-up, there was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of HIV-1 DNA (18% vs. 21%, P=.4) or the quantity of HIV-1 RNA (3.12 vs. 3.00 log(10) copies/swab, P=1.0) in vaginal secretions of women receiving vitamin A, compared with women receiving placebo. No significant effect of supplementation on plasma HIV-1 load or CD4 or CD8 cell counts was observed, and no effect was seen among women who were vitamin A deficient at baseline. Vitamin A supplementation is unlikely to decrease the infectivity of women infected with HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, 325 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. jbaeten@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Jared M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baeten
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: McClelland
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overbaugh
authors.forename: Barbra A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.forename: Ludo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lavreys
authors.forename: Kishorchandra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mandaliya
authors.forename: Daniel D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bankson
authors.forename: Jeckoniah O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ndinya-Achola
authors.forename: Job J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bwayo
authors.forename: Joan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kreiss
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014621:Vagina / Q000821:virology; D017201:Virus Shedding / Q000187:drug effects*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A