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Correlation of Gut Microbiota, Vitamin D Status, and Pulmonary Function Tests in Children With Cystic Fibrosis
Hadeel Albedewi1, Iman Bindayel1, Ahmed Albarrag2
1Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Children with cystic fibrosis have lower vitamin D and altered gut bacteria. Optimal vitamin D levels correlate with higher beneficial gut bacteria and improved lung function in CF patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Microbiome Research
Background:
- Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) often exhibit low vitamin D levels and dysbiotic gut microbiota.
- Gut dysbiosis in CF may exacerbate respiratory inflammation.
- Vitamin D and gut microbiota interactions are increasingly recognized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels, pulmonary function, and gut bacterial composition in children with CF.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study included 35 children with CF and 24 controls.
- Serum 25(OH)D was measured, and gut microbiota composition was analyzed using real-time PCR.
- Pulmonary function tests (spirometry) were performed.
Main Results:
- Children with CF had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D compared to controls (P=0.026).
- Optimal 25(OH)D levels in CF patients correlated with increased levels of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and total bacteria (P≤0.022).
- Higher Firmicutes levels were associated with milder forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (P=0.032).
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a link between vitamin D status, gut microbiota, and respiratory health in pediatric CF.
- Modulating gut microbiota may offer a therapeutic strategy to improve respiratory outcomes in CF.
Background:
Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) are expected to have suboptimal serum vitamin D status and altered gut microbiota. The altered gut microbiota is hypothesized to have a pro-inflammatory effect that further complicates the existing respiratory inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests an association between vitamin D and gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status, pulmonary function, and fecal bacteria in children with CF.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, a total of 35 children with CF (8.7 ± 2.83 years) and 24 controls without CF (9 ± 2.7 years) were included in this study. Serum 25(OH)D status was measured using the Elecsys vitamin D total II assay. In the CF group, gut microbiota composition was assessed using real-time PCR analysis. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were measured using spirometry. Comparisons between the CF and non-CF controls were conducted using the independent sample t-test. In the CF group, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess differences in PFTs and gut microbiota composition across the three vitamin D subgroups. The correlations between 25(OH)D status and PFTs, or gut microbiota composition, and PFTs with gut microbiota composition were analyzed using the Pearson's correlation coefficient test.
Results:
Children with CF had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels compared with children without CF (44.3 ± 22.4 vs. 59 ± 25.5, respectively, P = 0.026). Children with CF with optimal serum 25(OH)D level had significantly higher levels of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and total bacteria (P = 0.007, P = 0.007, and P = 0.022, respectively). The level of Firmicutes was found to be significantly higher in mild forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) compared with moderate FEV1 (P = 0.032), whereas the level of the other bacteria species was comparable across FEV1 severity groups.
Conclusion:
Our findings may encourage studies that target and modify gut microbiota to potentially achieve better outcomes in terms of respiratory function in CF.
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