期刊名称：The Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
印刷版ISSN：1606-0997
电子版ISSN：2072-1315
出版年度：2010
卷号：28
期号：3
页码：230-237
出版社：International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research Bangladesh
摘要：Despite the national vitamin A and antihelminthic prophylaxis programmes, both intestinal geohelminths and subclinical vitamin A deficiency continue to be
prevalent among children in developing countries. Studies on potential synergistic effects of vitamin A supplementation and deworming on retinol status have inconsistent results.
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the impacts of low-dose β-carotene supplementation and antihelminthic therapy on serum retinol and β-carotene
concentrations in preschool children of Bangladesh. Two hundred and forty-four children, known to be infected with As-caris lumbricoides, were randomized into four
treatment groups: I-IV. Group I and II received two oral doses of 400 mg of albendazole each, the first dose at baseline and the second dose after four months; Group III
and IV received placebo in place of albendazole. In addition, Group I and III received 1.2 mg of β-carotene powder in capsule daily for six months, and Group II and
IV received placebo in place of β-carotene. Se-rum retinol and β-carotene levels were measured before and after six months of the interventions. Serum retinol
and β-carotene increased significantly in Group I where both antihelminthic therapy and daily β-carotene supplementation were given (p<0.05 and p<0.001
respectively). Antihelminthic therapy alone only improved serum β-carotene concentration (p<0.0001). Low-dose β-carotene supplementation, along with an
antihelminthic therapy, synergistically improved vitamin A status. This finding has public-health implications for improving vitamin A status of children in developing
countries.
