THE INFLUENCE OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS ON THE SERUM CONCENTRATIONS OF RETINOL AND RETINOL BINDING-PROTEIN OF A RURAL-POPULATION IN LIBERIA

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (3) , 261-269
Abstract
Persons (121) from rural areas of central Liberia were examined for possible interactions between helminthic infections and the retinol (vitamin A) and retinol binding protein (= RBP) status. About 2/3 of this mainly adult population had retinol and RBP serum concentrations .ltoreq. 400 .mu.g/l and .ltoreq. 40 .mu.g/ml, respectively. Only 1 person had a serum retinol concentration < 100 .mu.g/l which is critical for the appearance of xerophthalmia. The retinol and RBP concentrations showed a linear, positive correlation. Nineteen parasitologically helminth free individuals had mean serum retinol and RBP concentratoins of 414 .mu.g/l and 43 .mu.g/ml, respectively, while the corresponding values of 20 individuals with schistosomiasis [Schistosoma haematobium and S. mansoni] as the only helminthic infection were 339 .mu.g/l and 35 .mu.g/ml. Sixty-five other persons with mixed intestinal and/or tissue helminthiases, and 9 persons with pure Onchocerca volvulus infection exhibited intermediate mean concentrations. Thirty-two persons without serological evidence of helminthic infections had higher concentrations of retinol and RBP than 32 individuals in whose sera at least 1 raised antibody titer was found in the ELISA [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay] with 3 different helminthic test antigens. In addition to age, sex and pregnancy schistosomiasis might be a further risk factor of latent retinol and RBP deficiency among adults and teenagers living in a schistosomiasis endemic area.