title: Giardia lamblia infection and its implications for vitamin A liver stores in school children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a nutritional problem affecting the health of people in developing countries because VAD compromises innate and adaptive immunity, increasing a person's predisposition toward infectious diseases. In addition, a high prevalence of infectious diseases continues to be a problem in developing countries, including Giardia lamblia. G. lamblia may be related to VAD because of its ability to change the intestinal architecture, thereby compromising the absorption of vitamin A. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of giardiasis on serum retinol levels and vitamin A liver stores in school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty Giardia-infected school children participated in this study. Vitamin A liver stores were evaluated with the modified relative dose response (MRDR) technique, and antiparasitic treatment was administered. In addition, anthropometric and dietary data were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to anthropometric indicators (age-appropriate Z scores for weight, height and body mass index) and daily vitamin A intake, the children had a normal nutritional status. Although the mean serum retinol levels did not change significantly after treatment for Giardia (p > 0.05), the MRDR values showed significant improvement (p < 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Giardiasis not only compromises the vitamin A status through intestinal malabsorption, it also causes profound mobilization of liver retinol stores.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrición y Metabolismo, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Hermosillo, México. hastiazaran@ciad.mx
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Astiazaran-Garcia
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lopez-Teros
authors.forename: Mauro E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Valencia
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Ortiz
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sotelo-Cruz
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quihui-Cota
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A