title: Antioxidant nutrient intakes and corresponding biomarkers associated with the risk of atopic dermatitis in young children.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. seyoung@khu.ac.kr
authors.forename: S-Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: M-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: B-H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid