Volume 25, Issue 107, January, 2021

Serum vitamin D, sun exposure and clinical attributes of local patients with respiratory allergies

Farhan Khashim Alswailmi¹, Syed Imran Ali Shah^2♦, Mirza Zeeshan Sikandar³, Mujeeb Ur Rehman Parrey⁴, Seemal Jelani⁵

¹Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafar Al Batin, Saudi Arabia; ORCID: 0000-0003-1836-1827
²Department of Biochemistry, University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafar Al Batin, Saudi Arabia; ORCID: 0000-0002-0833-0771
³Department of ENT, Central Park Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan; ORCID: 0000-0002-5499-7884
⁴Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia; ORCID: 0000-0002-2731-5438
⁵Department of Chemistry, Forman Christian College University, Lahore Pakistan; ORCID: 0000-0002-9923-9278

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Biochemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Hafr Al-Batin, Hafar Al Batin, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia; Email: simranali@uhb.edu.sa / s.shah10@alumni.imperial.ac.uk

ABSTRACT

Background: Involvement of vitamin D deficiency has been suggested in respiratory allergies which are common all over the world. Inadequate sun exposure has been associated with vitamin D deficiency as cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D occurs in sunlight. The present study examined serum vitamin D status and sun exposure in patients having respiratory allergies. Materials and Methods: Adult patients having respiratory allergies (n=35) were compared with age-matched controls without any respiratory allergy (n=35). Sun exposure and serum vitamin D levels were determined. Subjects were further segregated on the basis of their duration of sun exposure and vitamin D status. Results: Serum vitamin D levels were not different between the groups (controls 37.06 + 20.91 ng/ml v/s patients 40.07 + 10.97 ng/ml, p=0.380). Sun exposure-based analysis also did not reveal any difference in serum vitamin D levels.74.28% of the controls and 48.57% of patients had less than 1-hour daily sun exposure. Conclusion: Vitamin D levels in patients having respiratory allergies are comparable to non-allergic healthy individuals. Longer sun exposure seems to have adverse influence on respiratory allergies.

Keywords: Respiratory Allergy, Vitamin D, Sun exposure

Medical Science, 2021, 25(107), 179-184

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