title: Vitamin D deficiency and comorbidities in children with sickle cell anemia.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency is known to be common among patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Vitamin D levels were measured in 139 children (aged 7.9 to 15.1 years) to study its association with SCA morbidities; severe deficiency <10 ng/mL was present in 64.0% and only 2.2% were sufficient (>30 ng/mL). Vitamin D levels were associated with pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV(1)]), but not associated with either rates of acute pain or acute chest syndrome episodes. Further studies are needed to be able to compare outcomes in those with deficiency to those with sufficiency, as well as to treating patients with SCA with vitamin D to better establish a possible link, if any, between vitamin D and SCA morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Tara Christine
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Melissa Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Krauss
authors.forename: Michael Rutledge
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Debaun
authors.forename: Robert Charles
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Strunk
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arbeláez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology