Vitamin D concentration did not correlate with atopic dermatitis severity in children

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration did not significantly correlate with disease severity of atopic dermatitis among pediatric patients, according to study results.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of 94 patients at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin dermatology clinic in Milwaukee with atopic dermatitis (AD) who were aged 1 to 16 years (mean age, 5 years; 43% male) between November 2010 and February 2012. Each patient had objective Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration measured. Age, height, weight, race, Fitzpatrick skin type and asthma diagnosis were documented, and patient enrollment was categorized by season. Univariate tests and multivariate models were used for statistical analysis.

Thirty-seven patients (39.4%) had vitamin D deficiency (25[OH]D≤20 ng/mL), 33 patients (35.1%) had insufficiency (21-29 ng/mL) and 24 patients (25.5%) had sufficiency (≥30 ng/mL). No significant correlation between 25(OH)D concentration and SCORAD (r=–0.001; P=.99) was observed.

In multivariate analysis, lower serum 25(OH)D concentration was associated with being aged 3 years or older (P<.0001), black race (P<.0001) and winter season (P=.0084).

Inability to control for natural sunlight exposure, vitamin D intake and AD treatment limited the study, according to the researchers.

“Although further studies may elucidate whether a relationship exists between AD and vitamin D, we found no statistically significant correlation between vitamin D status and AD severity, as measured by serum 25(OH)D and SCORAD, respectively, in our urban pediatric AD population,” the researchers concluded. “Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency were prevalent in children with AD, but whether this represents a higher prevalence rate than in the general population is unclear.”

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Source: Chiu YE. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;69:40-46.