Serum vitamin A and zinc levels of healthy people in northeast Thailand.
BACKGROUND
Vitamin A and zinc are micronutrients which co-related to diseases afflicting northeast Thais. Vitamin A and zinc concentrations in serum have been studied in healthy northeast Thais between 23 and 75 years.


METHODS
Vitamin A was analyzed by HPLC and zinc was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.


RESULTS
The average serum vitamin A level of the population (n=744) was 2.30 micromol/l (95% CI=2.25-2.35). Males had significantly higher vitamin A levels than females, i.e. 2.61 micromol/l (95% CI=2.53-2.68) vs. 2.03 micromol/l (95% CI=1.98-2.09) (p<0.0001). The vitamin A level of females tended to increase significantly with age (p<0.005), whereas in males levels were relatively constant throughout the age range studied. The average serum zinc level of the population (n=1113) was 18.20 micromol/l (95% CI=18.05-18.36). There was no significant difference in the zinc levels between males and females, i.e. 18.20 micromol/l (95% CI=17.90-18.36) vs. 18.36 micromol/l (95% CI=18.05-18.66). The zinc level tended to decrease significantly as age increased, particularly in the male population (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results from this study provide baseline data of serum vitamin A and zinc levels in healthy northeast Thais.
Boonsiri
Patcharee
P
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. patcha_b@kku.ac.th
Pooart
Jureerut
J
Tangrassameeprasert
Roongpet
R
Hongsprabhas
Pranithi
P
Khampitak
Tueanjit
T
Yongvanit
Puangrat
P
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D013785:Thailand; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
D014801:Vitamin A; D015032:Zinc