title: Is vitamin D insufficiency to blame for recurrent wheezing?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D (VitD) and its metabolites play important roles in the regulation of the respiratory and immune systems. The aim of this study was to examine serum 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and VitD deficiency on the development of wheezing and clinical features.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a prospective cross-sectional survey that included a total of 70 infants being followed in the Pediatric Immunology and Allergy Unit at Ondokuz Mayis University. Forty of these infants (patient group), ranging in age from 1 to 3 years, had been diagnosed as wheezy infants; 30 were age-and-gender matched healthy infants (control group). Prior to the study, blood samples were taken from both groups to determine their serum VitD, blood eosinophil, and serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The duration of breastfeeding was similar for both groups. The serum 25(OH)D levels of the patient group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Although there was a negative relationship between 25(OH)D level and IgE(log10) values for the wheezy infants with VitD deficiency, the control group had a negative relationship between VitD level and IgE(log10) .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum 25(OH)D levels must be evaluated when following wheezy infants, and those with deficiency must be treated with VitD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.forename: Sukru Nail
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Guner
authors.forename: Mehmet Halil
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Celiksoy
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sancak
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: 25(OH)D; allergens; asthma; therapeutics; vitamin D