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Are vitamin D levels affected by acute bacterial infections in children?
Alex Binfield1, Carolyn Aird, David R Murdoch
1Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Insights
Vitamin D levels in children are not impacted by acute bacterial infections. Measurements taken during illness accurately reflect a child's baseline vitamin D status, supporting their use in research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Immunology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased susceptibility to infections.
- The impact of acute infection on vitamin D levels remains unclear.
- Understanding vitamin D fluctuations during illness is crucial for accurate assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels during acute bacterial infection represent baseline levels in children.
- To assess the reliability of 25OHD measurements taken during infection for research.
Main Methods:
- Studied 30 children (6 months-15 years) with bacterial infections.
- Measured 25OHD levels during acute infection and again one month post-recovery.
- Utilized liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for precise 25OHD quantification.
Main Results:
- Mean 25OHD levels did not significantly differ between acute infection (67.5 nmol/L) and follow-up (72.7 nmol/L) (P=0.25).
- C-reactive protein levels significantly decreased from acute infection (85.1 mg/L) to follow-up (4.0 mg/L) (P=0.002), confirming infection resolution.
- Participant ethnicity included New Zealand European, Samoan, Maori, and Chinese.
Conclusions:
- Acute bacterial infections do not alter 25OHD levels in children.
- 25OHD measurements during acute bacterial infection are reliable indicators of baseline vitamin D status.
- These findings support the use of 25OHD levels from acute infection samples in case-control studies.
Aims:
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with infectious diseases; however, it is not known whether vitamin D levels are affected by acute infection. Our aim was to establish whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels taken during an acute bacterial infection are representative of baseline levels.
Methods:
Thirty children between 6 months and 15 years of age with proven bacterial infections presenting to a tertiary paediatric referral centre had 25OHD levels taken during their acute infection and again 1 month later provided that they had recovered from their infection, had no subsequent infections and had not been taking vitamin supplements. 25OHD levels were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.
Results:
Mean 25OHD at enrolment was 67.5 nmol/L (standard deviation (SD) 22.0), and mean 25OHD at 1 month follow up was 72.7 nmol/L (SD 25.8) (paired t-test P = 0.25). C-reactive protein levels were recorded in 29/30 patients at enrolment (mean 85.1 mg/L, SD 83.5) and 25/30 patients at follow-up (mean 4.0 mg/L, SD 3.3) (paired t-test P = 0.002). The ethnicity of the participants was New Zealand European or European Other, 26; Samoan, 2; Maori, 1; and Chinese, 1.
Conclusions:
In children, 25OHD levels are not affected by acute bacterial infections; 25OHD levels taken during acute bacterial infection are representative of baseline levels. 25OHD levels collected during acute bacterial infection provide reliable information for case-control studies.
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