RESUMO
AIM: To describe plasma retinol values according to age, gender and pubertal maturation. TYPE OF STUDY: Comparative, transverse and descriptive. PLACE: Medellín, Colombia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Plasma retinol values were determined in 588 boys and 531 girls aged between 6 and 18 y. For this, we used spectrophotometry by UV oxidation of retinol, results below 0.87 mmol/l were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Mean retinol plasma concentrations were slightly higher in girls under 10 y. However, above this age, values are generally higher in boys. Plasma retinol concentrations increased with pubertal maturation in both boys and girls in a statistically significant manner. The highest values were observed in girls with mammary development grades 3 and 4 (P<0.05) and in boys with external genitalia development grades 1 and 2 (P<0.05). Vitamin A deficiency based on plasma retinol concentration (<0.70 mmol/l), was observed in 3.6% of all individuals regardless of gender. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma retinol concentration is correlated to pubertal maturation in both boys and girls. Vitamin A deficiency in school children and adolescents of Medellín is not a major health problem.