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Vitamin D insufficiency, deficiency common 
in children with HIV

Issue: September 2013

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Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are common in children with HIV and children without HIV, according to recent study findings published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

“Vitamin D status of HIV-infected children and young adults requires better assessment and [vitamin D insufficiency] should probably be actively treated in this population,” Candice Meyzer, MD, of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris, and colleagues wrote. “Further investigations are required to identify effective approaches and doses. Current guidelines on vitamin D supplementation in France are unsatisfactory and should be reconsidered to ensure that children and adolescents maintain an adequate vitamin D status throughout the year.”

The prospective study included 113 children and young adults with HIV aged 24 years or younger and 54 healthy controls.

Researchers found that overall prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) was 38.9% and vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) was 58.7%. Those with HIV had higher mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-[OH]D) concentrations compared with the control group. Dark phototype and age were significantly associated with low serum 25-(OH)D concentrations in participants with HIV, and dark phototype was the only independent risk factor of VDD in those with HIV (OR=14.6; 95% CI, 2.4-89.9). Participants receiving efavirenz were also more likely to have lower serum 25-(OH)D concentrations.

“In conclusion, VDI and VDD are highly prevalent in children and adolescents in our population during winter,” researchers wrote. “Because of the importance of vitamin D for overall health, and particularly innate immunity, poor vitamin D status may result in adverse health outcomes in pediatrics and especially for HIV-infected patients due to their unique risk profile.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.