Correlation of severity of asthma with serum Vitamin D3 and serum magnesium level in children aged 5–14 years

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease affecting 1%–18% of the population in different countries. Many factors, such as genetic predisposition, early allergen exposure, infections, diet, tobacco smoke exposure, pollution, and Vitamin D3 status, are all proposed to influence the development and severity of asthma. Vitamin D3 alters human airway smooth muscle expression of chemokines and inhibits the expression of a steroid-resistant gene. Magnesium ion has an inhibitory action on smooth muscle contraction, histamine release from mast cells, and acetylcholine release from cholinergic nerve terminals, thus influencing the function of respiratory smooth muscles.Aim: The aim is of this study is to assess serum Vitamin D3 level and serum magnesium level in children with asthma aged 5–14 years.Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 75 children of 5–14 years of age having asthma, who were classified into intermittent, mild, moderate, and severe asthma, and serum Vitamin D3 levels and magnesium levels were estimated.Results: Serum Vitamin D3 levels were significantly lower in children with severe asthma as compared to those with mild, moderate, or intermittent asthma, but serum magnesium levels were found to have no correlation with the severity of asthma in our study.Conclusion: Vitamin D3 insufficiency is widely prevalent in Indian children with asthma and significantly correlated with the severity of asthma. Serum magnesium levels within the normal range and correlation of the severity of asthma with serum magnesium levels cannot be established in our study.