title: Association between vitamin D and development of otitis media: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis and systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutrients related to serum vitamin D level were previously shown to be significantly associated with the risk of many chronic diseases. This study aimed to assess potential relationships between serum vitamin D level and otitis media (OM) risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched till Aug 18, 2015 for studies of quantitative OM risk estimates in relation to serum vitamin D level. The odds ratio and weighted mean difference, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were used to measure the relationship between serum vitamin D level and OM risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 89 articles identified by database search, 5 studies reported data of 16,689 individuals were included in our meta-analysis. We noted participants with OM was associated with lower level of plasma vitamin D when compared with patients without OM (weighted mean difference -5.67; 95% CI -8.08 to -3.26, P < 0.001). Furthermore, as compared with control group, serum vitamin D level was not associated with the risk of OM (odds ratio 0.80, 95% CI 0.47-1.38, P = 0.425). Subgroup analyses suggested that participants with acute OM might associate with lower serum vitamin D level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma vitamin D level might play an important role on the progression of acute OM, whereas no significant impact in patients with chronic OM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, No. 463 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xu-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Yue-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Zhen-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D