Plasma carotenoids as a useful indicator of vitamin A status

François, Patrice Le; Chevassus-Agnès, Simon; Ndiaye, A.M.

doi:10.1093/ajcn/34.3.434

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…a-Carotene values were similarly low. In countries such as China where carotenoids provide the major sources of vitamin A, serum carotenoids may serve as a useful secondary index of vitamin A status (Le Francois et al 1981), although it should be noted that plasma or serum carotenoids mostly reflect current intakes of carotenoids (Olson, 1984). About fifty carotenoids show provitamin A activity and it is not certain whether /3-carotene is the major source of provitamin A in all survey counties.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There has been some controversy concerning the normal relationships between these variables. According to Olson (198 l), 'in healthy subjects plasma carotenoids and vitamin A values are not correlated', however, studies in West Africa showed that plasma retinol and plasma carotenoids were correlated in populations, especially children of less industrialized countries (Le Francois et al 1981). The present study shows this to be the case also in China.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Vitamin A and carotenoid status in rural China

Wang¹,

Brun

Geissler

et al. 1996

Br J Nutr

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Vitamin A status of 260 groups of twenty-five males or twenty-five females, aged 35-64 years, surveyed in twenty-four provinces of the People's Republic of China, was assessed by measuring plasma retinol, retinoi-binding protein and /%carotene concentrations. Direct measurements of food intake over a 3 d period and questionnaire data on the frequency of consumption of vegetables, fruit% animal products and other dietary items were also used. Vitamin A status appeared to be low only in specific counties but in general was satisfactory or only marginally deficient. Plasma harotene levels were strikingly low in comparison with Western levels despite generous vegetable consumption s u g g w g that intake of vitamin A precursors may have been adequate but not abundant enough to maintain high circulating plasma levels of /%carotene. Plasma /?-carotene, for both males and females, was significantly correlated with the frequency of consumption of green vegetables. Plasma retinol, for males, was highly correlated with meat, fish, oil and alcohol consumption e x p r d both in quantity or frequency of consumption.Higher levels of plasma retinol, together with lower levels of plasma pcarotene in males compared with females, suggest that men consume more animal products or may have higher retinol requirements and therefore a higher rate of conversion of /%carotene to retinol.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vitamin A and carotenoid status in rural China

Wang¹,

Brun

Geissler

et al. 1996

Br J Nutr

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“…In 1980, a study based on SR and carotenoid concentrations showed that the VA requirement of Cameroonians was being met [11]. Nevertheless, further studies showed that clinical signs of VAD were evident in the population and represented a moderate public health problem according to WHO criteria [12,13].…”

Section: Cameroonmentioning

confidence: 99%

International Experiences in Assessing Vitamin A Status and Applying the Vitamin A-Labeled Isotope Dilution Method

López-Teros

Chileshe

Idohou-Dossou

et al. 2014

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research

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Inadequate vitamin A (VA) nutrition continues to be a major problem worldwide, and many interventions being implemented to improve VA status in various populations need to be evaluated. The interpretation of results after an intervention depends greatly on the method selected to assess VA status. To evaluate the effect of an intervention on VA status, researchers in Cameroon, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Senegal and Zambia have used serum retinol as an indicator, and have not always found improvement in response to supplementation. One problem is that homeostatic control of serum retinol may mask positive effects of treatment in that changes in concentration are observed only when status is either moderately to severely depleted or excessive. Because VA is stored mainly in the liver, measurements of hepatic VA stores are the "gold standard" for assessing VA status. Dose response tests such as the relative dose response (RDR) and the modifi ed relative dose response (MRDR), allow a qualitative assessment of VA liver stores. On the other hand, the use of the vitamin A-labeled isotope dilution (VALID) technique, (using 13 C or 2 H-labeled retinyl acetate) serves as an indirect method to quantitatively estimate total body and liver VA stores. Countries including Cameroon, China, Ghana, Mexico, Thailand and Zambia are now applying the VALID method to sensitively assess changes in VA status during interventions, or to estimate a population's dietary requirement for VA. Transition to the use of more sensitive biochemical

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