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Vitamin D in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Doaa El Amrousy1, Heba El Ashry2, Hossam Hodeib3
1Pediatric Department.
Insights
Vitamin D supplementation improved disease activity and quality of life in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This intervention also reduced key inflammatory markers, suggesting a beneficial role for vitamin D in managing pediatric IBD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Immunology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Vitamin D possesses known anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties.
- Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often exhibit vitamin D deficiency (hypovitaminosis D).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in children diagnosed with IBD and hypovitaminosis D.
- To assess the impact on disease activity, quality of life (QOL), inflammatory markers, and cytokine profiles.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 120 children with IBD and hypovitaminosis D.
- Participants received either 2000 IU/day of oral vitamin D3 or a placebo for six months.
- Primary outcome: change in IBD activity score; Secondary outcomes: QOL, inflammatory markers, cytokines, safety, and correlations.
Main Results:
- Vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced IBD activity scores compared to placebo.
- Significant improvements in QOL and reductions in inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP, fecal calprotectin) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-12, IL-17, IL-23, TNF-α) were observed.
- Vitamin D levels showed inverse correlations with disease activity, QOL scores, inflammatory markers, and healthcare utilization.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D supplementation demonstrates a potentially beneficial effect in managing pediatric inflammatory bowel disease.
- The findings support considering vitamin D supplementation for children with IBD and low vitamin D levels to improve clinical outcomes.
Background:
Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory functions.
Goals:
The authors investigated the effect of vitamin D supplementation in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hypovitaminosis D on disease activity, quality of life (QOL), inflammatory markers, and cytokines.
Study:
This randomized double-blinded controlled clinical trial included 120 children with IBD and hypovitaminosis D; 22 of them were excluded later. Patients were randomized to receive either oral vitamin D3 in a dose of 2000 IU/day or placebo for 6 months. The primary outcome was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the IBD activity score. The secondary outcomes were to assess the QOL, inflammatory markers, cytokines, the safety of vitamin D, and to correlate serum vitamin D level with various clinical and laboratory variables.
Results:
Vitamin D supplementation significantly decreased the IBD activity score in the vitamin D group compared with the placebo group. Moreover, QOL significantly improved after vitamin D supplementation. Inflammatory markers, for example, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and fecal calprotectin and interleukin-2 IL-12, IL-17, IL-23, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha significantly decreased in the vitamin D group. However, IL-10 significantly increased after vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D was significantly inversely correlated with the activity score, QOL score, levels of all inflammatory markers, the frequency of hospitalization, and emergency department visits.
Conclusion:
Vitamin D supplementation may have a beneficial effect in children with IBD.
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