Allergy Asthma Immunol Res.  2013 Jul;5(4):207-210. 10.4168/aair.2013.5.4.207.

Correlation Between Serum Vitamin D Level and the Severity of Atopic Dermatitis Associated With Food Sensitization

• Lee SA
• Hong S
• Kim HJ
• Lee SH
• Yum HY

• KMID: 2260313
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4168/aair.2013.5.4.207

Abstract

PURPOSE
A growing body of literature has linked vitamin D deficiency with allergic diseases, particularly atopic dermatitis (AD). In this study, we investigated the association between serum vitamin D status and the clinical manifestation of AD. We also developed an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).
METHODS
This study included 157 patients (79 males and 78 females) with AD, aged 4 months to 56 years. We evaluated disease severity using the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index. Serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were determined by LC coupled with MS/MS. Total IgE and specific IgE levels were assayed using the immunoCAP system. ANOVA was used for statistical evaluation.
RESULTS
We found mild, moderate, and severe AD in 30 (11.1%), 87 (55.4%), and 40 (25.5%) patients, respectively. There was no significant correlation between serum levels of 25(OH)D3 and AD severity. However, among the 36 patients with food sensitization, the mean+/-SD serum levels of 25(OH)D3 were significantly higher (P<0.05) in patients with mild disease (21.2+/-5.18 ng/mL) compared with the levels in patients with moderate (17.9+/-4.02 ng/mL) or severe AD (13.3+/-5.11 ng/mL) disease.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is related to the severity of AD associated with food sensitization. Thus, these data suggest a role for vitamin D in a select group of AD patients.

Keyword

Atopic dermatitis; vitamin D; food allergy

MeSH Terms

Aged
Cholecalciferol
Chromatography, Liquid
Dermatitis, Atopic
Food Hypersensitivity
Humans
Immunoglobulin E
Male
Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Vitamin D
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamins
Cholecalciferol
Immunoglobulin E
Vitamin D
Vitamins

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Correlation between serum 25(OH)D3 levels and individual atopic dermatitis disease severity.

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  Fig. 2 Serum 25(OH)D3 levels according to atopic dermatitis severity associated with food sensitization. Circles indicate mean values.

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