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Vitamin D deficiency is associated with diagnosis and severity of childhood atopic dermatitis
Author(s) -
Wang Susan Shuxin,
Hon Kam Lun,
Kong Alice Pikshan,
Pong Henry Ngahin,
Wong Gary Wingkin,
Leung Ting Fan
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pediatric allergy and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.269
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1399-3038
pISSN - 0905-6157
DOI - 10.1111/pai.12167
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin d and neurology , atopic dermatitis , scorad , atopy , vitamin d deficiency , gastroenterology , immunoassay , immunology , asthma , antibody , disease , dermatology life quality index
Background Recent studies implicated the importance of vitamin D in innate immune defense and pathogenesis of allergic diseases. However, the impact of vitamin D deficiency on atopic dermatitis ( AD ) diagnosis and severity remains unclear. This case–control study investigated such relationship in H ong K ong C hinese children. Methods Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25( OH )D] levels of 498 AD children and 328 non‐allergic controls were measured by immunoassay. Subjects were categorized into deficient (<25 n m ), insufficient (25–49.9 n m ), and sufficient (≥50 n m ) groups. Short‐term and long‐term AD severity was evaluated by physician‐diagnosed SCOR ing A topic D ermatitis ( SCORAD ) and N ottingham E czema S everity S core ( NESS ), respectively. Atopy biomarkers were also measured for analysis. Results The mean (s.d.) serum 25( OH ) D levels in AD patients and controls were 28.9 (15.3) and 34.2 (14.5) n m, respectively (p < 0.001). More patients had serum 25( OH )D levels <25 n m than controls (47.8% vs. 26.6%). AD severity as indicated by both SCORAD and NESS showed inverse associations with serum 25( OH )D levels (respective p = 3.6 × 10 −4 and 0.004 when adjusted for age, sex, month of assessment, and immunoassay batch as covariates). Vitamin D ‐deficient patients (3.08 ± 0.76) had higher logarithm‐transformed total IgE than those with insufficient (2.74 ± 0.69) and sufficient (2.72 ± 0.72) serum 25( OH ) D levels (p < 0.001). The proportion of subjects with elevated I g E was higher in vitamin D ‐deficient (43.2%) than vitamin D ‐sufficient (20.0%) groups. Conclusions Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are prevalent in H ong K ong C hinese children. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with childhood AD and high total I g E . Serum 25( OH ) D levels correlate inversely with both long‐ and short‐term AD severity.