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Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and bronchiolitis severity in Spanish infants

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Abstract

This cross-sectional study was performed to examine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in infants with acute bronchiolitis compared with control subjects and to evaluate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) and the severity of bronchiolitis. Serum 25(OH) D levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 48 infants with acute bronchiolitis (2.5 ± 2.0 months) and in 30 healthy infants (3.2 ± 2.3 months). 25(OH) D levels (ng/ml) in children with acute bronchiolitis were significantly lower than in the control group (median 29.9 ng/ml (interquartile range (IQR) 21.4–37.5) versus median 38.2 ng/ml ((IQR 26.1–48.1), p = 0.022), mainly in infants with moderate–severe bronchiolitis (median 29.8 ng/ml, IQR 19.2–35.9). The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D was remarkably greater among infants with bronchiolitis than in control subjects (52.1 versus 26.6 %). A significant inverse correlation was found between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and disease severity (rho = −0.457, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D is high in Spanish infants with bronchiolitis. The severity of acute bronchiolitis increases with a decline in serum 25 (OH) D level.

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Abbreviations

AAP:

American Academy of Pediatrics

AB:

Acute bronchiolitis

ALRTI:

Acute lower respiratory tract infection

CV:

Coefficient of variation

ESPGHAN:

European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

IQR:

Interquartile range

M ± SD:

Mean ± standard deviation

p :

p value

RIA:

Radioimmunoassay

RSV:

Respiratory syncytial virus

SPF:

Sun protection factor

IOM:

The Institute of Medicine

UK:

United Kingdom

USA:

United States of America

VDR:

Vitamin D receptor

VDBP:

Vitamin D binding protein

25(OH) D:

25-hydroxyvitamin D

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Antonio Martin, laboratory technician, for technical support in the laboratory measurements, nursing staff for their involvement and parents of all infants for their participation in the study

Conflicts of interest

Authors do not have any conflict of interest in relation to this work. The study was partially funded by a grant from the Spanish Society of Paediatric Pulmonology (SENP).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reina Sofía Children’s Hospital, Avda Menéndez Pidal S/N, 14004, Córdoba, Spain

    Gloria Moreno-Solís, Fernando Fernández-Gutiérrez, Javier Torres - Borrego, Ricardo Torcello-Gáspar, José Luis Gómez-Chaparro Moreno & Juan Luis Pérez - Navero

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  1. Gloria Moreno-Solís
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  2. Fernando Fernández-Gutiérrez
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  3. Javier Torres - Borrego
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  5. José Luis Gómez-Chaparro Moreno
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Correspondence to Gloria Moreno-Solís.

Additional information

Communicated by David Nadal

Conversion factors (international units = conventional units) 25-hydroxyvitamin D nanomole/litre = nanogram/milliliter × 2.496

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Moreno-Solís, G., Fernández-Gutiérrez, F., Torres - Borrego, J. et al. Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and bronchiolitis severity in Spanish infants. Eur J Pediatr 174, 365–372 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-014-2405-4

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