The vitamin A statuses of two groups of Indonesian women were compared by using the modified-relative-dose-response (MRDR) test: 1) lactating, nonpregnant women of lower socioeconomic status (n = 64) and 2) better-educated, premenopausal, nonpregnant, nonlactating women (n = 14). At times from 3 to 6 h after dosing, the mean ratio of dehydroretinol to retinol (DR/R) in the serum was approximately threefold higher in the lactating women than in the control group, eg, 0.109 +/- 0.073 and 0.034 +/- 0.015, respectively, at 5 h. At a provisional DR/R cutoff of 0.06, the vitamin A statuses of 70% of the lactating women and of 7% of the control women were judged to be inadequate. Only 7% of the variability in abnormal MRDR ratios could be attributed to body weight. Both abnormal and normal responses were highly reproducible when performed 0.5-3.25 mo after the first test.
PIP: The vitamin A statuses of two groups of Indonesian women recruited from the suburban areas surrounding Bogor in West Java, Indonesia, were compared by using the modified-relative-dose-response (MRDR) test: 1) 64 lactating nonpregnant women of lower socioeconomic status aged 17-37 years with 1-10 children; and 2) better-educated, pre-menopausal, nonpregnant, nonlactating women, 29-41 years old, with 0-4 children (n = 14) recruited from the staff at the Nutrition Research and Development Center in Bogor. The two groups differed significantly in weight (P 0.001) and age (P 0.001). At times from 3 to 6 hours after dosing, the mean ratio of dehydroretinol to retinol (DR/R) in the serum was approximately threefold higher in the lactating women than in the control group, e.g., 0.109 + or - 0.073 and 0.034 + or - 0.015, respectively, at 5 hours. The slopes of the response means between the groups showed a highly significant difference (P 0.001). The mean DR/Rs obtained by combining 5-hours and 5-hours-predicted values for lactating and control groups were 0.109 + or - 0.073 and 0.034 + or - 0.015, respectively. These two values also showed a highly significant difference (p 0.001). At a provisional DR/R cutoff of 0.06, the vitamin A statuses of 70% of the lactating women and of 7% of the control women were judged to be inadequate. The MRDR values of the control group also show a significant negative correlation with body weight (P 0.01). The slopes [(change in DR/R)/kg body wt] were -0.0055/kg (-0.0036/kg for n - 1) and -0.0015/kg for the lactating and control groups, respectively. Only 7% of the variability in abnormal MRDR ratios could be attributed to body weight. Both abnormal and normal responses were highly reproducible when performed 0.5 -3.25 months after the first test. Thus, safe, low-dose oral supplements of vitamin A ( 8000 IU) should be made available to lactating and pregnant mothers in at-risk populations. Nontoxic provitamin A carotenoids might be preferable as supplements.