Vitamin D serum levels and markers of asthma control in Italian children.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the relationship between vitamin D serum levels, pulmonary function, and asthma control in children.


METHODS
We studied the relationship between 25-hydroxy cholecalciferol [25(OH)D] concentrations and baseline spirometry and levels of asthma control, assessed according to Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines and the Childhood Asthma Control Test, in 75 children with asthma (age range 5-11 years; 43 males) in a cross-sectional study carried out during the winter and early spring.


RESULTS
Only 9.4% of our children had a sufficient serum 25(OH)D (at least 30 to 40 ng/mL). A significant positive correlation was found between forced vital capacity percent predicted and serum 25(OH)D (r = 0.25, P = .040). This was true also for forced expiratory volume in 1 second, even though it was not statistically significant (r = 0.16, P = .157). Subjects with well-controlled asthma had higher serum levels of 25(OH)D than children with partially controlled or non-controlled asthma, with values of (median [Q1; Q3]) 22.2 (16.3; 25.4), 17.8 (11.8; 22.1) and 18.1 (15.0; 18.5), respectively (P = .023). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between 25(OH)D and the Childhood Asthma Control Test (r = 0.28; P = .011).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that hypovitaminosis D is frequent in children with asthma living in a Mediterranean country. In those children, lower levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced asthma control.
Chinellato
Iolanda
I
Department of Paediatrics University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Piazza
Michele
M
Sandri
Marco
M
Peroni
Diego
D
Piacentini
Giorgio
G
Boner
Attilio L
AL
D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D014797:Vital Capacity; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002112:Calcifediol