title: Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with challenge-proven food allergy in infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiological evidence has shown that pediatric food allergy is more prevalent in regions further from the equator, suggesting that vitamin D insufficiency may play a role in this disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of vitamin D status in infantile food allergy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population sample of 5276 one-year-old infants underwent skin prick testing to peanut, egg, sesame, and cow's milk or shrimp. All those with a detectable wheal and a random sample of participants with negative skin prick test results attended a hospital-based food challenge clinic. Blood samples were available for 577 infants (344 with challenge-proven food allergy, 74 sensitized but tolerant to food challenge, 159 negative on skin prick test and food challenge). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured by using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and food allergy were examined by using multiple logistic regression, adjusting for potential risk and confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infants of Australian-born parents, but not of parents born overseas, with vitamin D insufficiency (≤50 nmol/L) were more likely to be peanut (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 11.51; 95% CI, 2.01-65.79; P=.006) and/or egg (aOR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.19-12.08; P=.025) allergic than were those with adequate vitamin D levels independent of eczema status. Among those with Australian-born parents, infants with vitamin D insufficiency were more likely to have multiple food allergies (≥2) rather than a single food allergy (aOR, 10.48; 95% CI, 1.60-68.61 vs aOR, 1.82; 95% CI, 0.38-8.77, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide the first direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency may be an important protective factor for food allergy in the first year of life.
authors: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Department of Allergy and Immunology, The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. katie.allen@rch.org.au
authors: Katrina J
authors: KJ
authors: Allen
authors: Jennifer J
authors: JJ
authors: Koplin
authors: Anne-Louise
authors: AL
authors: Ponsonby
authors: Lyle C
authors: LC
authors: Gurrin
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Wake
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Vuillermin
authors: Pamela
authors: P
authors: Martin
authors: Melanie
authors: M
authors: Matheson
authors: Adrian
authors: A
authors: Lowe
authors: Marnie
authors: M
authors: Robinson
authors: Dean
authors: D
authors: Tey
authors: Nicholas J
authors: NJ
authors: Osborne
authors: Thanh
authors: T
authors: Dang
authors: Hern-Tze
authors: HT
authors: Tina Tan
authors: Leone
authors: L
authors: Thiele
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Anderson
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Czech
authors: Jeeva
authors: J
authors: Sanjeevan
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Zurzolo
authors: Terence
authors: T
authors: Dwyer
authors: Mimi L K
authors: ML
authors: Tang
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Hill
authors: Shyamali C
authors: SC
authors: Dharmage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010367:Arachis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004531:Eggs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects*; D031685:Sesamum / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012882:Skin Tests; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D