title: Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy of HIV infected and non-infected women in tropical settings of Northwest Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is known to be a major public health problem among women of reproductive age in South East Asia and Africa. In Ethiopia, there are no studies conducted on serum vitamin A status of HIV-infected pregnant women. Therefore, the present study was aimed at determining the level of serum vitamin A and VAD among pregnant women with and without HIV infection in tropical settings of Northwest Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, blood samples were collected from 423 pregnant women and from 55 healthy volunteers who visited the University of Gondar Hospital. Serum concentration of vitamin A was measured by high performance liquid chromatography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for total serum protein, albumin and demographic variables, the mean ± SD serum vitamin A in HIV seropositive pregnant women (0.96 ± 0.42 μmol/L) was significantly lower than that in pregnant women without HIV infection (1.10 ± 0.45 μmol/L, P < 0.05). Likewise, the level of serum vitamin A in HIV seropositive non-pregnant women (0.74 ± 0.39) was significantly lower than that in HIV negative non-pregnant women (1.18 ± 0.59 μmol/L, P < 0.004). VAD (serum retinol < 0.7 μmol/L) was observed in 18.4% and 17.7% of HIV infected and uninfected pregnant women, respectively. Forty six percent of non-pregnant women with HIV infection had VAD while only 28% controls were deficient for vitamin A (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that VAD is a major public health problem among pregnant women in the tropical settings of Northwest Ethiopia. Considering the possible implications of VAD during pregnancy, we recommend multivitamin (which has a lower level of vitamin A) supplementation in the care and management of pregnant women with or without HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. andargachewmulu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Andargachew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mulu
authors.forename: Afework
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kassu
authors.forename: Kahsay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huruy
authors.forename: Birhanemeskel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tegene
authors.forename: Gashaw
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yitayaw
authors.forename: Masayo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamori
authors.forename: Nguyen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Van Nhien
authors.forename: Assegedech
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bekele
authors.forename: Yared
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wondimhun
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Fusao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ota
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult