Therapeutic significance of Vitamin D in allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Background: Allergic Rhinitis (AR), a common health problem, imposes a substantial burden on public health. New evidence suggests a possible link between AR and Vitamin D deficiency. This study was done with the purpose of determining whether serum Vitamin D levels are altered in AR as opposed to healthy controls and whether such alterations modify the severity of the disease. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on 100 adults aged 18–50 (50 clinically diagnosed with AR and 50 age and sex matched controls). They were evaluated clinically and by determining serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D]. Results: The most common symptom was paroxysmal sneezing (96%). The mean concentration of serum 25(OH) D was 16.52 ng/ml in test patients and 22.47 ng/ml in controls. This study demonstrated a statistically significant Vitamin D deficiency (defined as serum 25(OH) D, <20 ng/mL) among patients with AR as compared to healthy controls (P = 0.001). The deficiency was significantly more (P = 0.01) in patients with moderate–severe AR (n = 28, mean serum 25(OH) D = 12.36 ng/ml) than that in mildly symptomatic patients (n = 22, mean serum 25(OH) D = 21.82 ng/ml). Conclusions: A strong association exists between low serum Vitamin D levels and AR in this population sample of AR patients, suggesting that suboptimal levels of Vitamin D may modify the disease behavior. Supplementation can be a useful therapeutic adjunct.