title: [Serum level of vitamin A in children with pneumonia aged less than 3 years].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of the serum level of vitamin A (VA) with the severity of pneumonia and recurrent respiratory infection (RRI) within one year after treatment in children with pneumonia, and to provide a basis for serum VA level used as an index for judgment of the condition of pneumonia and prediction of the risk of recurrent respiratory infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 88 children with pneumonia aged less than 3 years were enrolled as study subjects. Serum VA level was measured on admission, and the development of RRI was followed up by telephone within 1 year after discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The children with pneumonia showed a reduction in the serum level of VA (0.8±0.3 μmol/L). The severe pneumonia group had a significantly lower serum level of VA than the mild pneumonia group (0.7±0.3 μmol/L vs 0.9±0.3 μmol/L; P<0.05), as well as a significantly higher detection rate of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) than the mild pneumonia group (63% vs 28%; P<0.05). The children were followed up for 1 year. The VAD-pneumonia group showed a significantly higher incidence of RRI than the normal VA-pneumonia group (49% vs 18%; P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in the incidence of RRI between the suspected subclinical vitamin A deficiency (SSVAD)-pneumonia group and the normal VA-pneumonia group, as well as between the VAD-pneumonia group and the SSVAD-pneumonia group (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with pneumonia often have a low level of VA, and the level of VA is associated with the severity of pneumonia and the development of RRI afterwards.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China. pdhdxy@163.com.
authors.forename: Yi-Ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Dong-Hong
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000097:blood*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A