title: Vitamin A and zinc status in patients on maintenance haemodialysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to assess the vitamin A and zinc serum levels in patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) in the city of Recife, in the north-eastern region of Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 55 patients and 28 healthy controls. The retinol and zinc serum concentrations were analysed by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean retinol serum concentration in patients (2.50 +/- 0.86 micromol/L) was significantly greater (P < 0.001) than that found in controls (1.26 +/- 0.86 micromol/L). The retinol serum levels in the patients were as follows: 47.3% of the patients had elevated levels (>/= 2.24 and < 3.50 micromol/L); 16.4% of the patients had serum levels >/= 3.50 micromol/L, which indicated hypervitaminosis; and 9.1% of the patients had serum levels below the normal range (<1.05 micromol/L), a rate that among the controls was 42.9% (P < 0.01). In regard to zinc, the serum levels found in the patients (10.59 +/- 3.12 micromol/L) were similar to those found in the controls (11.43 +/- 2.82 micromol/L) (P > 0.05). Although 49.1% of the patients and 35.7% of the controls were classified as deficient in zinc, this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results identified a high prevalence of zinc deficiency in the groups studied, and point to a trend towards more elevated retinol serum levels in patients undergoing dialysis as compared with those in healthy controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Poliana Coelho
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Alcides da Silva
authors.initials: Ada S
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.forename: Ilma Kruze Grande
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: de Arruda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003677:Deficiency Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D015995:Prevalence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A; D015032:Zinc