Vitamin D Status in Young Children with Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Food Allergy

Abstract

Aim is to investigate vitamin D status in young children with gastrointestinal manifestations of food allergy.

Materials and methods. 30 children aged 4 months to 3 years with enterocolitis syndrome induced by dietary proteins were examined. General clinical examination included assessment of physical and somatic status (body weight, height, sleep, appetite), condition of the skin and mucous membranes, skeletal system, internal organs, nature and frequency of bowel movements. To assess vitamin D status in children with gastrointestinal allergy, we used quantitative determination of the concentration of 25 (OH) D (25-hydroxycalciferol) in blood serum using the Architect 2000sr I «ABBOT» immunochemical assay (USA). Complex treatment of the underlying disease involved correction of vitamin D deficiency using the drug «Aquadetrim» containing aqueous solution of colecalciferol for oral administration at a dose of 2000 U/day for 1 month. The comparison group included 20 children aged 12–24 months with non$aggravated individual and family history of allergies, who had functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (functional constipation, functional diarrhea, flatulence syndrome) and did not take vitamin D preparations. The data of clinical and laboratory trials were processed by the methods of mathematical statistics adopted in biology and medicine. The reliability of differences in comparative indicators was determined using the Student's t-test and nominal data using Fisher's exact test.

Results and conclusions. Based on the results of assessing the vitamin D status in young children with gastrointestinal food allergy by determining serum concentrations of 25-hydroxycalciferol, vitamin D deficiency was established in 86.7% of patients — with average of 26.39 (21.08–29.98) ng/ml. Administration of aqueous solution of colecalciferol (Aquadetrim) at a dose of 2000 IU per day for 1 month to children with gastrointestinal food allergy helped to normalize the concentration of 25-hydroxycalciferol in blood serum of 92.3% of children. Against the background of the use of the vitamin D preparation (Aquadetrim), there were no cases of deterioration of gastrointestinal and skin manifestations of the disease; «Akvadetrim» preparation was well tolerated, without side reactions.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of these Institutes. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.