title: Vitamin D serum levels in allergic rhinitis: any difference from normal population?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently it has been suggested that, the worldwide increase in allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and food allergy is associated with low vitamin D intake.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study measured the vitamin D levels in patients with allergic rhinitis and compared the results with the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vitamin D levels were assessed in 50 patients with allergic rhinitis diagnosed clinically by Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma 2008 criteria and the result of skin prick test for aeroallergens. There was no control group, and the study results were compared with the results of another study evaluating vitamin D status in the 5,329 people of normal population of Iran.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in patients with allergic rhinitis than the normal population, 30% and 5.1% respectively (p = 0.03). Also women with allergic rhinitis had lower vitamin D levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measuring vitamin D serum levels could be helpful in the routine assessment of patients with allergic rhinitis in Iran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Hazrat Rasoul Akram Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1445613131, Iran.
authors.forename: Saba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arshi
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghalehbaghi
authors.forename: Seyyed-Kamran
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kamrava
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aminlou