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Vitamin D Levels in Children with AD
Children with atopic dermatitis should be routinely tested for vitamin D deficiency, especially during disease exacerbation, a new study found. Researchers examined the association between CoQ10, vitamin D, retinol, and α-tocopherol serum levels and severity of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children. 29 children aged 1 to 15 years were included in the study. AD severity was categorized into mild or moderate and severe. The control group was comprised of 22 children with negative history of allergy aged from 2 to 15 years. Among the findings:
- Low vitamin D concentration was observed in 77% of patients with severe AD.
- Retinol concentration was decreased significantly in patients with severe AD compared to children with mild and moderate AD, but not to control.
- There was correlation of serum inflammatory markers with decreased concentration of vitamin A in children with AD.
- No significant changes were found in tocopherol and CoQ10 levels between groups.
Daniluk U, Filimoniuk A, Kowalczuk-Krystoń M, et al. Association of antioxidants and vitamin D level with inflammation in children with atopic dermatitis. [Published online ahead of print April 9, 2019]. Int J Dermatol. doi:10.1111/ijd.14438.
Vitamin D deficiency has been a popular topic in the last few years. This study showed a significantly lower Vitamin D level in severely atopic children than in controls or mildly atopic individuals. It remains unclear whether this is simply an association or if there is a cause or effect situation. Other articles have suggested Vitamin D3 supplementation may have some mild benefit in treating atopic dermatitis. In contrast, there was no difference between atopics and controls in levels of Vitamin E or CoQ10. — Joseph Fowler, Jr., MD, Clinical Professor of Dermatology, University of Louisville, KY