Evaluation of the correlation of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D serum levels with allergic rhinitis

Objective: Recent studies point to a relationship between allergic diseases and vitamin D deficiency. This relationship seems to be associated with immune-modulator effects of the derivatives of vitamin D. However, there are limited number of studies on the relationship between allergic rhinitis and derivatives of vitamin D. We planned our study to investigate this issue. Methods: The study group was composed of 30 patients diagnosed with allergic rhinitis according to ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) Criteria. The control group included 30 patients of the same age and gender without any allergic rhinitis disease. The patients with an underlying disease which may cause deficiency of calcium and vitamin D were excluded. The significance of the difference between study and control groups in terms of serum 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D levels was also evaluated. Results: It was determined that the levels of vitamin D were within normal (10-90 ng/mL) limits in both groups. It was found out that the mean serum 25(OH)vitamin D level (15.39 ng/mL) of the study group was significantly lower than the control group (53.80 ng/mL) (p=0.00). No significant difference was found between the genders in terms of vitamin D levels (p=0.398). Conclusion: It is necessary to do more researches on the effects of vitamin D derivatives on allergic rhinitis. This study indicates that a vitamin D deficiency should be taken into consideration during the treatment for resistant allergic rhinitis patients.