title: Low vitamin D levels are associated with atopic dermatitis, but not allergic rhinitis, asthma, or IgE sensitization, in the adult Korean population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effect of vitamin D on allergic conditions is unclear. In particular, large-scale, population-based studies examining this relationship in adult Asian populations are lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels and allergic conditions in the general adult Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed by using data collected from 15,212 individuals 19 years or older who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2010. The confounder-adjusted mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels of participants with and without allergic conditions (including atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and increased total and allergen-specific serum IgE) were compared by using multiple linear regression analyses. Multiple logistic regression analyses with confounder adjustment estimated the odds ratios (ORs) for developing each condition according to adequate, inadequate, or deficient serum 25(OH)D levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjusting for potential confounders, mean serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in participants diagnosed with atopic dermatitis than in those without this diagnosis (mean ± SE, 18.58 ± 0.29 ng/mL vs 19.20 ± 0.15 ng/mL; P = .02). Compared with participants with adequate vitamin D levels (≥20 ng/mL), confounder-adjusted ORs of atopic dermatitis were significantly higher in those with inadequate (12-19.99 ng/mL) or deficient (<12 ng/mL) levels (OR [95% CI], 1.50 [1.10-2.06] and 1.48 [1.04-2.12], respectively; P = .02). This relationship was not observed in participants with the other allergic conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin D-insufficient adult individuals within the general Korean population have an increased likelihood of atopic dermatitis, but not asthma, allergic rhinitis, or IgE sensitization.
authors.affiliation: Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Hui Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sunmi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Hwaseong, Korea. Electronic address: borelalgebra@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gyeong-Hun
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seunghyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chong Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Woo
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kee Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic; D012221:Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Asian; IgE; KNHANES; Korean; Vitamin D; adult; allergic rhinitis; allergy; asthma; atopic dermatitis