en Biochemistry and Nutrition Biochemistry and Nutrition Original Research Original Research <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="font-style:italic"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">Background: </span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">Stunting or stunted is a condition of chronic nutritional deficiency that remains a problem to this day. Vitamin A and D deficiencies can be one of the causes, although there are still differing findings regarding it. This study aims to investigate the levels of vitamins A, D, and their carrier proteins in relation to the characteristics of the subject. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Methods:</b> This study is an exploratory analytical research with a cross-sectional design from 80 samples of venous blood from children aged 24 to 36 months in Bogor Regency, West Java, Indonesia. Retinol concentrations were quantified utilizing High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), whilst retinol binding protein (RBP), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OH(D)), and vitamin D binding protein (DBP) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Data was analyzed using SPSS software with independent t-test/ Mann-Whitney, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)/ Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests. Statistical significance was considered at 0.05. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Results:</b> The findings revealed no substantial differences in retinol (</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt">P</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">=0.24), RBP (</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt">P</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">=0.492), and DBP (</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt">P</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">=0.332) between stunted and control children. However, 25(OH)D was markedly elevated in the stunted group relative to the control group (</span></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt">P</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">=0.007). High vitamin D status may correlate with currently breastfeeding and consumption of vitamin D supplements in stunted children. Conversely, the levels of vitamins A and D were significantly lower in the control group who continued to receive breast milk compared to children who had been weaned. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Conclusion:</b> Vitamin A in the stunted group tends to be the same as that of the control group. High levels of vitamin D were found in the group of stunted children. Additional investigation is required into the mechanism of vitamin D metabolism in stunted children. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 25OH(D), D Binding Protein, Retinol Binding Protein, Retinol serum, Stunting 665 673 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-9444-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Rizana Fajrunni’mah rizana.fajrunnimah@gmail.com 200319475328460092009 200319475328460092009 No Doctoral Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Mohamad Sadikin msadikin@fk.ui.ac.id 200319475328460092010 0009-0006-2436-7319 Yes Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Heri Wibowo bowoheri04@gmail.com 200319475328460092011 200319475328460092011 No Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia Dwirini Gunarti dwirini.retno91@ui.ac.id 200319475328460092012 200319475328460092012 No Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia