Serum Levels of Vitamine D,Calcium and Magnesium in Infants and Preschool Children With Recurrent Wheezing

There has been growing recognition of the critical extra-skeletal roles for vitamin D in recent years with an explosion of interest in vitamin D across health disciplines including lung disease. Recently, vitamin D was found to be low in patients with recurrent wheezes.

Vitamin D, whether produced in the skin upon sun exposure or ingested from various dietary sources, is converted in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. The latter is the major circulating form of vitamin D and is thus used for evaluating the vitamin D status of patients . The flesh of fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources of vitamin D and the fortified cereals and milk provide adequate amounts as well.

Studies in animal models and humans have demonstrated an association of low vitamin D concentrations with atopy and respiratory tract conditions. The mechanism that explains this association is still unclear. It has been suggested that this mechanism is due to the effects of vitamin D status on the regulation of the immune system.

The vitamin D receptor is expressed in various cells of the immune system, such as macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, as well as in B and T lymphocytes. Binding of the active form of vitamin D to its receptor leads to an increase in immunomodulatory activity that maintains the balance between the cellular immune response (Th1) and the humoral response (Th2), in addition to stimulating regulatory T cells.

Hypomagnesaemia (serum Mg level <0.74 mmol.L-1) has been also suggested to be associated with increased incidence of wheeze, airway hyperreactivity, and impairment of lung function. The mechanisms of action of magnesium (Mg) on respiratory airways are multiple and include relaxation of airways smooth muscle, bronchodilatation, anticholinergic effect, and stabilization of the mast cells