Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Concentration in Children with Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Abstract

Background: Vitamin D plays a critical role in the human body. Its deficiency had been proposed to play a role in lower respiratory tract infections [LRTIs], which responsible for 18% of deaths in young children. Aim of the work:The purpose of this study was to assess vitamin D concentrations in children with lower respiratory tract infections.Patients and Methods: After obtaining approval of the ethics committee, a prospective case control study was conducted in pediatric department, Damietta Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University Hospital on children with lower respiratory tract infections and comparing 25-hydroxyvitamin D level between them and normal matched control from December 2018 to September 2019 include 140 children, Group A: 70 cases children had lower respiratory tract infections [LRTIs] either isolated pneumonia or associated with sepsis. Group B: matched with 70 healthy subjects.Results: There was significant reduction of vitamin D among study group children when compared to control group [13.68±5.50 s 40.64±4.76 ng/dl respectively]. There was no significant association between type of infection and vitamin D levels. However, all children with bronchitis had sufficient vitamin D levels. There were vitamin Ddeficiency in 64.3% while No one was deficient vitamin D among control group. Conclusion:Children with acute lower respiratory tract infection had significant reduction in vitamin D levels. The reduction had no significant association with the type of infection.