title: Vitamin D supplementation modulates the immune system and improves atopic dermatitis in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D seems to influence the evolution of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We tested the vitamin D serum levels of 39 children with AD (AD group t0) and of 20 nonallergic healthy controls (C group). AD severity was evaluated using the AD scoring system (SCORAD index). Cytokine serum levels (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α) and atopy biomarkers were also measured. The patients were then treated with vitamin D oral supplementation of 1,000 IU/day (25 mg/day) for 3 months. We then reevaluated the vitamin D serum levels, AD severity and cytokine serum levels in all of the treated children (AD group t1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cross-sectional analysis on patients affected by AD (AD group t0) showed that the initial levels of all the tested cytokines except for TNF-α were higher than those of the healthy control group (C group), falling outside the normal range. After 3 months of supplementation the patients had significantly increased vitamin D levels (from 22.97 ± 8.03 to 29.41 ± 10.73 ng/ml; p = 0.01). A concomitant significant reduction of both the SCORAD index (46.13 ± 15.68 at the first visit vs. 22.57 ± 15.28 at the second visit; p < 0.001) and of all the altered cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ) was also found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed vitamin D supplementation to be an effective treatment in reducing AD severity in children through normalization of the Th1 and Th2 interleukin serum pattern.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Di Filippo
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Scaparrotta
authors: Daniele
authors: D
authors: Rapino
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Cingolani
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Attanasi
authors: Marianna Immacolata
authors: MI
authors: Petrosino
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Chuang
authors: Sabrina
authors: S
authors: Di Pillo
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Chiarelli
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D014807:Vitamin D