Relationship between Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and Severity of Asthmatic Attack in Children

Globally, the number of diagnosed asthma has increased by 4.3 million from 2001 to 2009.The prevalence of asthma in Africa has increased from 64.9 million (11.8%)to 102.9 million (13.8%) over the past two decades among children less than 15 years. The burden of this consequence is the exacerbations of attacks with resultant absence from school by children, loss of man hour by parents who stay with them while on admission as well as increased healthcare expenditures. The association between the serum level of vitamin D with the severity of the asthmatic attack and its control has been reported in respect of its role as a significant immunomodulator and inhibition in the pathogenesis of allergies. The aim of the study was to correlate serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D with the severity of Asthmatic attack in children and possibly provide a rationale for clinical supplementation.

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted between November 2016and August 2017 involving 128 participants. A stratified random sampling method was used to select the participants based on control a level using the GINA classification of asthma control levels. Serum vitamin D level was determined by CalbiotechInc, kit and Pearson correlation was carried out to determine relationship.

The uncontrolled (22.4±2.9ng/mL) and partly controlled (25.6±3.9ng/mL) groups had low serum vitamin D levels as compared to the well-controlled group (35.1±4.9ng/mL) which had vitamin D within the reference interval. There was a strong negative correlation (p-value < 0.001) between serum vitamin D levels and all the criteria (GINA) of asthma control.

The serum vitamin D levels correlated well with the severity of an asthmatic attack as well as its control (GINA).