Diagnostic Significance of Serum Vitamin D Levels in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Infections: A Comparative Study of Covid-19 and Other Acute Respiratory Infections

Abstract

Objective: The article provides information about a research study conducted to investigate the diagnostic significance of vitamin D in children with acute respiratory diseases.

 Place  and Duration od Study: After obtaining informed consent, the study was conducted in 2021 at the educational-therapeutic Clinic of Azerbaijan Medical University and Baku City Children's Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 7

Material and Medod: The study included 95 children aged 1 to 17 years. Based on clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and instrumental results, the study included 20 children diagnosed with ARDs, 75 children who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs and were designated as COVID-19 patients, and 15 healthy children who served as the control group. Vitamin D levels in all participants' serum were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method using the Stat Fax 4700 analyzer and reagent kits from Pishqaman (Germany).

Results: Children with COVID-19 (PCR-positive) had an average vitamin D concentration of 25.1 ng/ml (median 24.8 ng/ml) (p<0.001), while those with ARDs had an average of 20.8 ng/ml (median 21.0 +ng/ml) (p<0.001). The interquartile range (Q_1-Q₃) for vitamin D levels in the ARDs group was 18.3-23.8 ng/ml, whereas the COVID-19 group had 20.6-29.2 ng/ml. The control group had an average vitamin D level of 46.4 ng/ml (median 48.4 ng/ml), with an interquartile range (Q_1-Q₃) of 39.5-55.8 ng/ml.

Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, low levels of vitamin D in serum are a significant contributor to the development and worsening of respiratory diseases in children.