Vitamin A status of Indonesian children infected with Ascaris lumbricoides after dosing with vitamin A supplements and albendazole

J Nutr. 1996 Feb;126(2):451-7. doi: 10.1093/jn/126.2.451.

Abstract

In developing countries, both marginal vitamin A status and intestinal helminths are common among children. Indonesian children (n = 309, 0.6-6.6 y), known to be infected with Ascaris lumbricoides, were randomized into six different treatment groups (A-F). The treatments included 210 mumol vitamin A supplement and a dose of 400 mg albendazole (5-propylthio-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl carbamic acid methyl ester) administered orally either at the same health visit (Groups B and F) or at different contact times during a 1-mo period (groups A, C, D and E). Vitamin A status was assessed both before and 3-4 wk after the treatments by the modified relative dose response (MRDR) test. Vitamin A supplementation was most important in improving the vitamin A status (P < 0.0001) of these children, whereas treatment for ascariasis alone (P = 0.370) and the statistical interaction between treatment for ascariasis and vitamin A (P = 0.752) were not. Serum retinol concentrations marginally improved (P = 0.051) in two of the groups that received vitamin A and albendazole but not in the third group that received vitamin A only. The MRDR test proved a better discriminator of the effects of these treatments on vitamin A status than changes in serum retinol concentrations.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Albendazole / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use*
  • Ascariasis / blood
  • Ascariasis / complications
  • Ascariasis / drug therapy*
  • Ascariasis / epidemiology
  • Ascaris lumbricoides / isolation & purification*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Female
  • Food, Fortified
  • Humans
  • Indonesia / epidemiology
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Vitamin A / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin A / blood*
  • Vitamin A / therapeutic use*
  • Vitamin A Deficiency / etiology
  • Vitamin A Deficiency / prevention & control

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Vitamin A
  • Albendazole