Serum concentrations of vitamin A, carotene, retinol-binding protein and prealbumin in patients with cystic fibrosis
Knöpfle, G.; Rotthauwe, H.W.; Odenthal, A.
Zeitschrift für Kinderheilkunde 119(4): 279-291
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-2917 PMID: 1136541 Document Number: 84856
Vitamin A, carotene, retinol-binding protein (RBP), and prealbumin (PA) have been measured in 42 children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) and in 92 normal controls. All patients with CF were on vitamin A palmitate in twice the dose for normals. For statistical analysis U- test of Wilcoxon, Mann and Whitney, parametric correlation coefficient and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient were used. Compared with those in normal controls mean serum concentrations of vitamin A, carotene and RBP were depressed in patients with CF (P smaller than 0.001), whereas PA levels did not differ significantly from those of normal individuals. In normal controls there was only in serum concentration of PA an elevation with age (r=0.455, P smaller than 0.001). In patients with CF, serum concentration of vitamin A decreased in correlation with age (r=--0.423, P smaller than 0.01). PA and RBP as well as RBP and vitamin A were positively related in both groups (P smaller than 0.001). In normal individuals there was a highly significant correlation between serum concentrations of vitamin A and carotene (rs=0.606, P smaller than 0.001), whereas in patients with CF this relationship was less significant (rs=0.311, P smaller than 0.02).