Serum retinoic acid and atopy among children of different ethnic origin living in Germany.

We hypothesized that higher provitamin A carotenoid serum levels may be associated with higher concentrations of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and atopy. Concentration of ATRA was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in sera from German domestic and Turkish migrants' children. ATRA serum levels were significantly higher in German children if compared with Turkish children and correlated with those of ß-carotene (rs = 0.692) and other provitamin A carotenoids. They did not differ significantly between atopic and nonatopic individuals. Serum levels of ATRA are related to those of provitamin A carotenoids but are not directly related to atopy in the present study.