BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTATION ON IMMUNE RESPONSE IN CHILDREN WITH RECURRENT RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS
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Keywords
Vitamin D, recurrent respiratory infections, children, immune response, cytokines, inflammation
Abstract
Background: Recurrent respiratory infections (RRIs) are a common health problem in children and are associated with significant morbidity. Vitamin D is known to play an important role in immune regulation, and its deficiency has been linked with increased susceptibility to infections.
Objective: To assess the association between vitamin D status and biochemical and physiological immune responses in children with recurrent respiratory infections.
Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, from January 2024 to January 2025. A total of 72 children aged 2–12 years with recurrent respiratory infections were included using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured and categorized as deficient, insufficient, and sufficient. Biochemical markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) were assessed using ELISA. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0, and correlations were determined using Pearson’s test.
Results: Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 66.7% of participants. Lower vitamin D levels were significantly associated with higher levels of CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α (p<0.001). A positive association was found between vitamin D levels and immunoglobulin levels (IgA and IgG). Children with lower vitamin D levels had a higher frequency of infection episodes and increased antibiotic use. A significant negative correlation was observed between vitamin D levels and infection frequency (r = -0.62, p<0.001).
Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with recurrent respiratory infections and is associated with increased inflammation and impaired immune response. Assessment of vitamin D status may be important in the clinical evaluation of these children.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Faheem Ullah
Assistant Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, KMU Hospital and Research Center, Peshawar, Pakistan
Khanasa Kiani
Demonstrator, Department of Biochemistry, Quetta Institute of Medical Sciences (QIMS), Quetta, Pakistan
Maham Khalid
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Rehman medical College, RMI, Peshawar, Pakistan
Maryum Saeed Hashmi
Lecturer (Basic Subjects), Prine College of Allied Health Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan
Sayed Khan,
Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Gomal Medical College, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
Erum Tariq
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Quetta College of Dentistry, QCD, Quetta, Pakistan
