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Background: Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, affecting around 330 million individuals worldwide. Factors like genetic predisposition, early allergen exposure, diet and vitamin D status are all proposed to influence the development and severity of asthma. Epidemiologic data suggests that low serum vitamin D (<30 ng/mL) in children with asthma is associated with more symptoms and exacerbations. The objectives of this study were to determine serum levels of vitamin D in asthmatic children (6-15 years) and to establish a relation between serum vitamin D levels and asthma control.Methods: We conducted a cross sectional observational study. A total of 60 children with asthma were studied to know the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and asthma control, assessed according to Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines (GINA).Results: Only 33.33% of children had sufficient vitamin D levels. Mean±SD vitamin D level of study population was 23.38±8.75. 45% children had well controlled asthma, 28.3% were partly controlled and 26.7% were uncontrolled. Significant (p <0.001) inverse association was found between level of asthma control and vitamin D status. Significant positive correlation was found between percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity (P <0.01). Subjects with well controlled asthma had higher serum levels of 25 (OH) D than children with partially controlled or uncontrolled asthma.Conclusions: Hypovitaminosis D is frequent in children with asthma and is associated with exacerbations, decreased lung functions and severe disease.

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Background: Typhoid fever is a serious health problem in developing countries including India. Isolation of S. typhi by culture is the gold standard for diagnosis, but the positive cases are very less, time consuming and expensive, so the best alternative is Widal test. Widal test can be used as a diagnostic tool if we know the baseline titres in a particular community. Objective: To re-evaluate the baseline Widal titres in apparently healthy children in and around Davangere, and to find the significance of 1:160 titres in Widal test. Methods: Cross sectional study was done on 250 children. Tube agglutination test was done on 112 healthy and 138 children with minor nontyphoidal illness. Titres were studied in relation to age, sex, nutritional status and healthy children to minor nontyphoidal illness. Results: Out of 112 healthy children, 52.7% had titres less than 1: 20, 25% had 1:20, 18.8% had 1:40 and 3.6% had a titre level of 1:80 for 'O' antigen of S. typhi. 63% children had a titre of less than 1: 20, 21.4% had 1:20, 8% for 1:40 and 7.1% had a titre of 1:80 for 'H' antigen of S. typhi. For 'H' antigen of S. paratyphi A the titres for less than 1:20 were 83%, 8% cases had a titre of 1:20 and 4.5% cases had titre levels of 1:40 and 1:80. No children had a titre value of ≥1:160 for both S. typhi and paratyphi A in the healthy children group. Conclusions: The baseline titres of healthy children in all the age groups and both sex is ≤ 1:80 for 'O' and 'H' antigen of S. typhi and 'H' antigen of S. paratyphi A.

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