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Vitamin A deficiency increases susceptibility to infection caused by impaired immune function.

We investigated whether immunodeficiency could facilitate the development of vitamin A deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency was followed in 2 mouse models of immunodeficiency: the athymic nude mouse (nu/nu) and the humoral immunodeficient SENCAR (SENsitive to CARcinogenesis) mouse. Vitamin A deficiency was also monitored in outbred Balb/c and in NIH mice. The monitoring of vitamin A deficiency was done after feeding the mice and their mothers a semisynthetic, vitamin A–deficient diet from birth of the experimental mice. These mice were weaned onto the same deficient diet at 3–4 wk of age, while control groups were fed the same diet containing 3 μg retinoic acid per gram of diet.

The immunodeficient nu/nu and SENCAR mice developed vitamin A deficiency earlier than …