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Effects of Vitamin D levels and supplementation on atopic dermatitis: A systematic review
Author(s) -
Huang Christina M.,
LaraCorrales Irene,
Pope Elena
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1111/pde.13639
Subject(s) - medicine , atopic dermatitis , cochrane library , randomized controlled trial , vitamin d and neurology , cohort , regimen , medline , cohort study , pediatrics , immunology , political science , law
Background Atopic dermatitis ( AD ) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting 5%‐20% of children worldwide. Studies suggested both a correlation between serum vitamin D ( VD ) levels and AD severity and a therapeutic potential role for VD supplementation. Objectives To determine whether serum VD levels correlate with AD severity and the effects of supplementation for disease improvement in children. Data Sources Ovid MEDLINE , EMBASE , and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Study Selection Publications with children 0‐18 years old with AD and data evaluating effects of VD levels or supplementation on AD severity were included. Data Extraction Author, year, inclusion criteria, study design, location, age, VD levels, VD supplementation regimens, and baseline and final disease severities were extracted. Results Of the 21 included publications, 15, 5, and 1 evaluated VD level, VD supplementation, and both factors with disease severity, respectively. There were 4 randomized control trials ( RCT s), 5 cohort, 6 case‐control, and 6 cross‐sectional studies. A significant inverse correlation between VD level and severity was described in 62.5% (10/16) of studies. There were 67% (4/6) that reported a significant improvement in AD severity with supplementation. Limitations Studies meeting inclusion criteria were limited. Furthermore, papers were heterogeneous in terms of location, season, and VD supplementation regimen. Language and publication bias was another potential limitation. Conclusion In children, the majority of existing literature confirmed a link between serum VD levels and AD severity. Weak evidence was found supporting improvement of AD with VD supplementation. Future large‐scale studies are needed to support our findings.