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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Vitamin A deficiency and T-cell subpopulations in children with meningococcal disease |
Authors: | Semba, Richard D. Bulterys, Marc Munyeshuli, Vincent |
Year: | 1996 |
Periodical: | Journal of Tropical Pediatrics |
Volume: | 42 |
Issue: | 5 |
Pages: | 287-290 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Rwanda |
Subjects: | child health meningitis |
External link: | http://tropej.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/42/5/287 |
Abstract: | Although group A meningococcal disease is a major cause of child morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about vitamin A status and T-cell subpopulations in affected children. A prospective study of vitamin A levels and T-cell subpopulations was conducted in 41 children hospitalized for meningococcal meningitis in Butare, Rwanda, during an epidemic from September through November, 1992. The ages of cases ranged from 0.5 to 16 years. The case-fatality rate was 20 percent. The study demonstrates a high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in African children with meningococcal disease. Furthermore, the findings suggest that vitamin A deficiency is associated with the more severe T-cell subset alterations in children with meningococcal disease. Further study is needed to determine whether vitamin A supplementation may have a role in reducing the high mortality associated with epidemic meningococcal disease. Ref., sum. |