Antioxidant nutrient intakes and corresponding biomarkers associated with the risk of atopic dermatitis in young children.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of antioxidant nutritional status with the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD) in young children in a case-control, population-based study.


METHODS
Identified from preschools by using the Korean version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Final analysis included 180 AD (mean age 5.3+/-0.9 years) and 242 non-AD (mean age 5.2+/-1.0 years) children. Diet was assessed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were used for analyses of fat-soluble vitamins (retinol, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene) and vitamin C.


RESULTS
AD was associated negatively with intakes of antioxidant-related nutrients. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were 0.44 (0.22-0.88) for the highest (vs lowest) quintile of beta-carotene. A similar association was observed for dietary vitamin E (OR=0.33, 95% CI=0.16-0.67), folic acid (OR=0.37, 95% CI=0.18-0.73), and iron (OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.19-0.79). Reduced AD risk was found with 1 s.d. increase of serum alpha-tocopherol [OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.41-0.98) and retinol (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.58-0.96) concentrations, and marginally with that of serum beta-carotene levels (P=0.0749 for trend). There was no relationship of AD risk with dietary and plasma vitamin C as well as nutrient supplement intake regardless of nutrient type. AD was predicted better by the intake measure than the corresponding blood biomarker regarding vitamin E and beta-carotene.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that higher antioxidant nutritional status reduces the risk of AD and that such risk-reduction effects depend on nutrient type.
Oh
S-Y
SY
Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. seyoung@khu.ac.kr
Chung
J
J
Kim
M-K
MK
Kwon
S O
SO
Cho
B-H
BH
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid