Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D does not vary over the course of a malarial infection.
Assessment of the status of some micronutrients is complicated by the acute phase response to infection. We investigated whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) is an acute phase reactant by measuring the effect of a malarial infection on plasma 25OHD level. Blood samples were taken from patients with Plasmodium falciparum malaria daily during the course of their stay in hospital and at a follow-up session 2-6 weeks after discharge. 25OHD was measured by radioimmunoassay. Time course data for the 14 subjects who provided samples for at least the first 2 d in hospital showed no change in 25OHD level during the acute infection. For the 14 subjects with follow-up results, there was no difference between median 25OHD level at admission (25.6 ng/ml, interquartile range (IQR) 23.0, 40.2) and at follow-up (25.2 ng/ml, IQR 19.2, 32.1; P=0.084). 25OHD level appears to be unaffected during the course of a severe malarial infection and thus can be used as a measure of vitamin D status even in subjects who are currently ill.
Newens
Katie
K
Centre for International Child Health, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
Filteau
Suzanne
S
Tomkins
Andrew
A
D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
D006023:Glycoproteins; D014807:Vitamin D; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D