Author
TANUMINHARDJO, SHERRY - University Of Wisconsin | |
RUSSELL, ROBERT - Tufts University | |
Stephensen, Charles | |
GANNON, BRYAN - University Of Wisconsin | |
CRAFT, NEAL - Craft Technologies | |
HASKELL, MARJORIE - University Of California Agriculture And Natural Resources (UCANR) | |
LIETZ, GEORG - Newcastle University | |
SCHULZE, KERRY - Johns Hopkins University | |
RAITEN, DANIEL - National Institutes Of Health (NIH) |
Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2016 Publication Date: 9/1/2016 Citation: Tanuminhardjo, S.A., Russell, R.M., Stephensen, C.B., Gannon, B.M., Craft, N.E., Haskell, M.J., Lietz, G., Schulze, K., Raiten, D.J. 2016. Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development – Vitamin A Review. Journal of Nutrition. 146/p.18165-18485. Interpretive Summary: The Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and is designed to provide evidence-informed advice to anyone with an interest in the role of nutrition in health. To accomplish this objective, expert panels are recruited to evaluate the literature and to draft comprehensive reports on the current state of the art with regard to specific nutrient biology and available biomarkers for assessing nutritional status at the individual and population level. This manuscript is a review of vitamin A. Although the vitamin was discovered more than 100 years ago, vitamin A status assessment is not trivial. Serum retinol concentrations are under homeostatic control due in part to its use in the body for growth and cellular differentiation and because of its toxic properties at high concentrations. Furthermore, serum retinol concentrations are depressed during infection and inflammation because retinol-binding protein is a negative acute phase reactant. Thus, this review will describe the clinical, functional, and biochemical biomarkers of vitamin A status and how they relate to liver vitamin A concentrations, which are usually considered the gold standard for vitamin A status. In regard to biomarkers, future research questions and lapses in our current understanding as well as limitations of the methods are described. Technical Abstract: The Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development (BOND) project is designed to provide evidence-informed advice to anyone with an interest in the role of nutrition in health. Specifically, the BOND program provides state-of-the-art information and service with regard to selection, use, and interpretation of biomarkers of nutrient exposure, status, function, and effect. To accomplish this objective, expert panels are recruited to evaluate the literature and to draft comprehensive reports on the current state of the art with regard to specific nutrient biology and available biomarkers for assessing nutritional status at the individual and population level. Phase I of the BOND project includes the evaluation of biomarkers for 6 nutrients: iodine, folate, zinc, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B-12. This review of vitamin A is the next paper in this series. Although the vitamin was discovered more than 100 years ago, vitamin A status assessment is not trivial. Serum retinol concentrations are under homeostatic control due in part to its use in the body for growth and cellular differentiation and because of its toxic properties at high concentrations. Furthermore, serum retinol concentrations are depressed during infection and inflammation because retinol-binding protein is a negative acute phase reactant. Thus, this review will describe the clinical, functional, and biochemical biomarkers of vitamin A status and how they relate to liver vitamin A concentrations, which are usually considered the gold standard for vitamin A status. In regard to biomarkers, future research questions and lapses in our current understanding as well as limitations of the methods are described. |