title: Serum vitamin A and beta-carotene levels in children with asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low serum levels of dietary antioxidants are associated with allergic diseases including asthma. Vitamin A and carotenoids are dietary antioxidants that are likely to play an important role against airway inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 433 asthmatic schoolchildren and 537 healthy control subjects, between 6 and 18 years of age. Serum beta-carotene, vitamin A, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were studied in all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum vitamin A concentration was significantly lower in asthmatic subjects than in healthy control subjects (19.4 +/- 1.1 mg/dL vs. 28.9 +/- 0.86 mg/dL) (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the levels of beta-carotene, cholesterol, and triglycerides between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduction of vitamin A in asthmatic children may have etiological implications for the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. senaidy@ksu.edu.sa
authors.forename: Abdulrahman M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al Senaidy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002784:Cholesterol