Abstract

Objective: To compare the vitamin D deficiency in children with and without cystic fibrosis.
Methods: This case-control study was conducted at National Institute of Child Health (NICH) Karachi, Pakistan from October 2018 to April 2019. All children of age ranged 10 months to 15 years of either gender were consecutively enrolled. Cases were defined as children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis irrespective of duration of symptoms whereas controls were apparently healthy children attended outpatient department with no severe disease and had recent vitamin D level report. Cystic fibrosis was confirmed based on sweat chloride test at the time of presentation. A sweat chloride test result of ≥60 mmol/L along with clinical features suggests cystic fibrosis. Serum 25-OHD <20 ng/ml was classified as vitamin D deficiency.
Results: Of total 93 patients (31 with cystic fibrosis and 62 without cystic fibrosis), the overall median age of the patients was 10 (5-11) years. There were 29 (31.2%) males and 64 (68.8%) females. The median vitamin D level was significantly lower in patients with cystic fibrosis as compared to the patients without cystic fibrosis, i.e. (15 (12-25) ng/ml and 29 (22-32) ng/ml respectively, p-value <0.001. Vitamin D deficiency showed that of 93 patients, 37 (39.8%) patients had vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in cystic fibrosis patients as compared to without cystic fibrosis patients, i.e. 23 (74.2%) and 14 (22.6%) respectively (p-value <0.001).
Conclusion: A considerably higher number of patients with cystic fibrosis had low level of vitamin D.