Correlation Between Serum Vitamin A Levels And Children's Pneumonia And Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections

Objective: To study the relationship between the different levels of serum Vitamin A(VA)and pneumonia including recurrent respiratory tract infections(RRTI)in order to provide more evidence for the research and supplementation of the clinical therapeutic use of VA in China.Methods: Selected for 646 children as subjects,including 400 children with pneumonia from the Department of Respiratory Medicine,Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,246 children in the outpatient examination were selected as control group,serum VA levels were compared between these children,and followed up the occurrence of recurrent respiratory infection within one year of discharge from the hospital.Results: The average serum VA level of children with pneumonia was lower than the control group(P=0.000),the incidence of vitamin A deficiency(VAD)was higher than the control group(P=0.000).The serum VA level in the severe pneumonia group was lower than that in the mild pneumonia group(P=0.029).The incidence of VAD was higher than that inthe mild pneumonia group(P=0.039).The serum VA level in the acute pneumonia group were lower than those in persistent pneumonia and chronic pneumonia(P=0.001));The incidence of RRTI was higher in the VAD group than in suspected subclinical vitamin A deficiency group and the VA normal group within 1 year of discharge(P=0.023).Conclusions: Serum vitamin A levels are associated with the development of pneumonia,the course of the disease,the severity of the disease,and the occurrence of recurrent respiratory infections.