[Serum levels of interferon-gamma and interleukine-10 in anemic children with vitamin A deficiency].

Studies done with human and animals have shown that the diminished vitamin A intake can produce anemia, but the ethiopathogenic mechanism hasn't been known due to the few studies about the complex interactions between micronutrients deficiencies, immune system and cytokine productions. The objective of the present study was to analyze the serum concentration of IFN-gamma and IL-10 in anemic and non anemic children according to vitamin A nutritional status. A descriptive study of 53 euthrophic children, without infectious diseases (45-77 month old; 29 girls, 24 boys), living in a slum in Maracaibo-Venezuela. Anemia was evaluated by means of blood hemoglobin concentration analysis, standard WHO criteria for anemia were Hb < 110 g/L in <60 month old children; Hb < 115 g/L in >60 month old children. Vitamin A status was assessed by Conjunctival Impression Cytology (CIC) technique, which determines Normal CIC=Control or Abnormal CIC=VAD. The serum concentration of IFN-gamma and IL-10 (pg/mL; X +/- DE), was determined by the ELISA method. Statistical significance of differences was tested by ANOVA (p < 0.05). Prevalence of anemia was 75.50%; VAD 50.94% and anemia+VAD 35.86%. The anemic children with VAD showed significant serum values of IFN-gamma e IL-10 lower than in other groups. This alteration of the complex immunoregulatory mechanism could be responsible for dysfunction eritrhoid cell formation.