title: Serum Vitamin D levels and Vitamin D supplementation do not correlate with the severity of chronic eczema in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Eczema is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases, affecting about 20% of children. The pathogenic mechanisms of eczema are still not fully understood, and current treatment of moderate-severe eczema is often difficult. Recently, it has been suggested that Vitamin D plays a key role in this disease, even if mechanisms are only partially known.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to assess the 25-Hydroxyvitamin D serum levels in a pediatric population suffering from chronic eczema (IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated), and to correlate these phenotypes with the SCORAD severity and selected clinical and biological parameters. Moreover, we aimed to evaluate whether a supplementation of Vitamin D3 could affect the same clinical and laboratory parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  89 children with chronic eczema were enrolled in the study. Severity of eczema was assessed with the SCORAD index. Past and present history was taken, and patients were divided into two groups according to the state of sensitization. According to a randomization schedule, the enrolled children were assigned to the following groups: supplementation group, which received a daily oral Vitamin D3 supplementation (2000 IUs) for 3 months; control group which received no supplementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D concentrations in patients with moderate and severe eczema were not statistically different from Vitamin D concentration detected in the serum of patients with mild eczema. Furthermore, we did not find any correlation between Vitamin D levels, total IgEs and SCORAD index, both in the Sensitized and in the Not-Sensitized group. The Vitamin D3 supplementation did not influence the SCORAD severity or the total IgEs concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, our study is the first one that shows no correlation between serum levels of Vitamin D, eczema severity and IgE sensitization in a pediatric population suffering from chronic eczema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy, Research Centre, San Pietro Hospital - Fatebenefratelli, Via Cassia 600, Rome, Italy. Phone: +39 06 335 822 80 Fax: +39 06 332 512 78 E-mail: galli.elena@fbfrm.it.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy, Research Centre, San Pietro Hospital - Fatebenefratelli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rocchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy, Research Centre, San Pietro Hospital - Fatebenefratelli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carello
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy, Research Centre, San Pietro Hospital - Fatebenefratelli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Giampietro
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento del Farmaco e Terapie Sperimentali, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Allergy, Research Centre, San Pietro Hospital - Fatebenefratelli, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meglio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002112:Calcifediol / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004485:Eczema / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012384:Rome; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D002112:Calcifediol
keywords: IgE chronic eczema; Not-IgE chronic eczema; Serum vitamin D levels; Vit D supplementation