Plasma vitamin D levels of patients with allergic rhino-conjunctivitis with positive skin prick test.

BACKGROUND

Allergic rhino-conjunctivitis (ARC) and allergic rhinitis are inflammatory diseases that develop through immunoglobulin E in the rhino-ocular mucosa due to allergy. The main symptoms are runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy nose, and conjunctivitis.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to evaluate plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with ARC.

STUDY

DESIGN

This study was planned as a prospective and cross sectional study. This study was performed in a tertiary referral center.

METHODS

This observational study involved 42 patients with ARC and 35 consecutive, age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. Patients in both groups underwent skin-prick test. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of all subjects were quantified with electrochemiluminescence technique. Results were compared between the groups and p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS

Group one included 42 ARC patients (15 male, 27 female, ages between 12 and 43, average age 25.7 ± 8.6); group two included 35 healthy people (15 male, 20 female, ages between 12 and 44, average age 26.9 ± 9.1). Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of the subjects with ARC group (7.33 ± 3.61 ng/mL, standard error mean: 0.55, range 3.17-13.68 ng/mL) were significantly lower than the control group (13.37 ± 5.42 ng/mL, standard error mean: 0.91, range 6.84-25.92 ng/mL) (p = 0.010, Independent-Samples test).

CONCLUSIONS

We found lower plasma vitamin D levels in patients with ARC when compared with the control group.