VITAMIN D FEATURES METABOLISM IN CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC DERMATITIS

Abstract

Introduction. Vitamin D is an important steroid hormone for dermatology. The skin is a unique organ because it is the site of vitamin D synthesis during exposure to the sun and the target organ for its activity. The study of the physiology of metabolism, the mechanism of action of vitamin D and its effects on the skin are extremely important in medicine. However, the involvement of vitamin D in innate and adaptive immunity is an important option, namely the effect of vitamin D on keratinocyte function and proliferation which may indicate a possible role of vitamin D in allergic skin sensitization and the development of atopic dermatitis.

The aim of the study – determination of vitamin D levels in children with atopic dermatitis of varying severity, depending on the value of the SCORAD index using the immunochemical method with chemiluminescent detection for a deeper understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of atopic dermatitis, optimization of diagnostic interventions, personalized treatment of dermatitis.

Materials and Methods. The study was performed based on St. Nicholas Hospital, Lviv. The study involved 42 children aged 3 to 14 with manifestations of atopic dermatitis of varying severity in the main group and 27 healthy children aged 3 to 14 without chronic diseases (control group).

Results and Discussion. There were 69 children from 3 to 14 years old examined in total. Among them, there were 36 (52 %) boys and 33 (48 %) girls. By age, the children were divided as follows: from 3 to 6 years old – 28 (41 %), from 7 to 10 years old – 14 (20 %), and 11 to 14 years old – 27 (39 %). All children who had manifestations of AD were divided into groups according to severity (depending on the SCORAD index): children with mild seve­rity – 18 (43 %), moderate – 14 (33 %), and with severe manifestations – 10 (24 %). As a result of the study, we established a relationship between the level of vitamin D in the blood serum and the severity of AD manifestations in children from 3 to 14 years old. The analysis of the study showed that the level of 25 (OH) D was significantly lower in children with severe AD compared with its indicators in children with the moderate course (p<0.05) of the main group.

Conclusions. The results of our study confirm the presence of a correlation (r=-0.47; p<0.05) between the level of 25(OH)D in the blood serum and the clinical manifestations of AD in children aged 3 to 14 years of the main group. The level of vitamin D in the blood serum is probably lower than moderate and severe forms of AD, and it probably correlates with the overall assessment of the severity of AD according to the SCORAD scale and the intensity of clinical manifestations. The results of our study are consistent with literature data confirming the presence of a correlation between the development of atopic dermatitis in children and the level of 25(OH)D in their blood serum. The data of our study show that it is essential to use a differentiated approach to the treatment of AD in accordance with the current protocols and consider the levels of 25(OH)D in the blood serum in children.