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Vitamin D supplement reduced eosinophilic airway inflammation in nonatopic asthma

The use of vitamin D3 as adjunct therapy may reduce eosinophilic airway inflammation in patients with nonatopic asthma, according to recent study results.

“These results suggest that the beneficial effect of vitamin D3 in asthma may be related to its effect on eosinophilic airway inflammation, thereby identifying an area of potential intervention in the subgroup of patients with most severe asthma,” the researchers wrote.

Researchers conducted a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effect of long-acting vitamin D3 on sputum neutrophils and eosinophils in 44 patients with nonatopic asthma with neutrophilic and/or eosinophilic airway inflammation at a general hospital in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

At trial initiation, vitamin D3 levels were low (<50 nmol/L) in 15 patients. After 1 week of treatment, the median level rose from 60 nmol/L to 153 nmol/L (P<.01), and at 9 weeks of therapy the median vitamin D3 level was 91 nmol/L (P<.01).

Patients with the highest percentage of eosinophils showed a decrease in sputum eosinophils from a median of 41.1% to 11.8% after receiving the vitamin D supplement vs. an increase in sputum eosinophils from 51.8% to 63.3% in the placebo group.

However, there was a negligible decrease in the percentage of sputum neutrophils in patients.

“The lack of effect of vitamin D3 on neutrophilic airway inflammation was surprising because previous findings suggested that low levels of vitamin D3 might induce neutrophilic airway inflammation,” the researchers wrote. “Our results suggest that vitamin D3 as an add-on treatment might be able to reduce eosinophilic airway inflammation in patients with nonatopic asthma with high levels of sputum eosinophils, possibly by enhancing steroid responsiveness.”

Disclosure: See study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.