The correlation between the vitamin A, D, and E levels and recurrent respiratory tract infections in children of different ages.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the vitamin A, D, and E levels and recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) in children of different ages. METHODS: A total of 150 RRTI patients were divided into three groups the 0 to 2 year-old group, the 3-5 year-old group, and the 6-14 year-old group. Collectively, we refer to the three groups as the RRTI group. The serum vitamin A, D and E levels were measured in the three groups. Healthy children without RRTIs were recruited as a control group. The correlations between the changes in the vitamin A, D, and E levels and the RRTIs were analyzed. RESULTS: The vitamin A, D, and E levels decreased significantly in the children with RRTIs, but only the vitamin A and D levels were negatively correlated with the incidence of RRTIs, while the vitamin E levels were not significantly correlated with the incidence of RRTIs. The follow-up results showed that the serum vitamin A, D, and E levels in the RRTI group were significantly increased after the treatment, and the WBC and CRP levels were remarkably reduced. CONCLUSION: Monitoring the serum vitamin A and D levels helps determine the disease severity, and the supplementation of adequate vitamin A and D through diet or drugs is of great help in treating RRTIs.