Vitamin D supplementation and severity of atopic dermatitis: pre-post assessment

Abstract

Background/objectives: There is evidence that vitamin D (VD) supplementation may help in the management of atopic dermatitis (AD). The aim of this study was to assess the influence of VD supplementation on the severity of AD. Methods: Pre-post interventional study with prospective data collection in patients younger than 14 years. The severity of AD was determined through SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) and classified as mild (SCORAD < 25), moderate (>25 and <50), and severe (>50). Skin prick test was performed in all patients. Serum VD levels were classified as sufficient (>30 ng/mL), insufficient (29 to 21 ng/mL), and deficient (<20 ng/mL); and those with inadequate levels received oral supplementation of VD for 3 months, and were reassessed after treatment. Results: A total of 152 patients were included. Patients with sufficient vitamin levels had lower SCORAD values (p = 0.04). Further, 116 patients (76.3%) received VD supplementation and after 3 months, VD levels were significantly higher (35.9 ng/mL) compared to baseline levels (23.7 ng/mL, p < 0.001). At the same time, a reduction in the SCORAD index was observed (19.4 before vs 12.3 after supplementation, p < 0.001). Considering other factors that could influence the decrease in AD severity after VD supplementation, female gender was associated with a worse treatment response (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation could be an adjuvant in reducing the severity of atopic dermatitis.