Vitamin D Deficiency And Its Effect On Severity Of Asthma In Adult Patients

Abstract

AIM: This study is aimed to assess vitamin D status in asthmatic patients and to assess the  relationship between vitamin D level and asthma severity. 

INTRODUCTION: 

Asthma is heterogeneous disease, usually characterized by variable airflow obstruction and  bronchial hyper-responsiveness. The world health organization stated that approximately 300  million people have asthma. Recently the effects of vitamin D appear to have regulatory effect  on every part of immune system, vitamin D deficiency being linked to an array of  immunologically based disease focusing on asthma. 

METHOD: 

The present study included 50 patients diagnosed as bronchial asthma. The asthmatic patient  group was divided into group A, asthma in between attack and group B, exacerbated asthma,  that was again divided in subgroup (I), (II), and (III) mild , moderate and severe exacerbated  asthma according to symptoms and FEV1. Serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 level in all groups was  measured by radio immunoassay method and compared between these groups. 

RESULT: 

This study shows statistically significant correlation between vitamin D level and severity of  asthma. The mean levels of serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 in asthmatic patients are: Group A 28.24 ± 1.35 ng/ml, mild persistent- 22.6 ± 11.5 ng/ml, moderate persistent - 18.33 ± 1.31  ng/ml, and severe persistent - 10.45 ± 1.84 ng/ml. P value is <0.01, which is highly significant. 

CONCLUSION: 

Lower level of vitamin D is associated with higher severity of asthma.