title: High dose vitamin D therapy for chronic pain in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease: results of a randomized double blind pilot study.
abstract: We report results of a pilot study of high-dose vitamin D in sickle cell disease (SCD). Subjects were given a 6-week course of oral high-dose cholecalciferol (4000-100 000 IU per week) or placebo and monitored prospectively for a period of six months. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency was present at baseline in 82·5% and 52·5% of subjects, respectively. Subjects who received high-dose vitamin D achieved higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, experienced fewer pain days per week, and had higher physical activity quality-of-life scores. These findings suggest a potential benefit of vitamin D in reducing the number of pain days in SCD. Larger prospective studies with longer duration are needed to confirm these effects.
authors.affiliation: Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1405 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. ify.osunkwo@choa.org
authors.forename: Ifeyinwa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Osunkwo
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McCracken
authors.forename: Korin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cherry
authors.forename: Chinyere E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Osunkwo
authors.forename: Solomon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Ofori-Acquah
authors.forename: Samit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Adeolu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogunbobode
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Eckman
authors.forename: Carlton
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dampier
authors.forename: Vin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tangpricha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D002112:Calcifediol