Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Medical Sciences, cilt.33, sa.6, ss.1337-1343, 2013 (Scopus)
Objective: Epidemiologic studies have shown that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels are associated with increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections in young children. Almost all viral respiratory tract infections occur between November and March, months that also are associated with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D recently has been shown to have an important role in the immune regulation especially in innate immunity as well as production of antimicrobial peptides. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and recurrent respiratory tract infections with wheezing in young children. Material and Methods: Serum 25(OH)D levels were analysed in 60 wheezy infants, aged 6-36 months, with three or more viral wheezing episodes and 40 healthy controls at the same age. The study was done between November 2009 and March 2010, months that viral infection-associated wheezing episodes were common. Vitamin D levels were categorized into deficient (≤20 ng/mL), insufficient (21-29 ng/mL) and sufficient (≥30 ng/mL), based on previous recommendations. Results: The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration of wheezy infants (30.1±7.6 ng/mL) was lower than the healthy controls (33.9±9.8 ng/mL) (p=0.049). Vitamin D deficiency was found in 7/60 (12%) of wheezy infants and 2/40 (5%) of healthy controls.Vitamin D insufficiency frequency was 21/60 (35%) in wheezy infants and 13/40 (32%) in healthy controls. The differences between wheezy infants and controls were insignificant. Serum vitamin D level was significantly associated with age, duration of breastfeeding and maternal clothing in wheezy infants. Conclusion: Vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent among young children in our region. According to the previous studies supporting the role of vitamin D in innate immunity and antiviral defence, we suggest that it might be particularly important in wheezy children. Future investiagtions will demonstrate the exact role of vitamin D on respiratory tract infections and wheezing illnesses in young children. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri.