Vitamin D deficiency in pediatric sickle cell disease patients without crisis – A cry to investigate it on priority

Authors

  • Shahida Aziz Khan a:1:{s:5:"en_US";s:66:"King Fahd Medical Research Center,King Abdulaziz University,Jeddah";}
  • Torki Al Zughaibi a] King Fahd Medical Research Center King Abdulaziz University Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; b] Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
  • Sarah A. Khan King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Keywords:

diagnostic marker, early intervention, vitamin D

Abstract

Objective: The alarming increase in vitamin D deficiency (VDD) has been shown to result in compounded risks of major health problems globally. As sickle cell disease (SCD) children are already health compromised, the co-morbidities escalate early in life, demanding an early detection, to minimize the adverse effects. This study determined vitamin D levels in children with SCD without a crisis to check for probable associations with inflammation and infections if any.

Methods: SCD children aged 5–16 years, in a steady state, were enrolled in the study after taking necessary consent and ethical clearance. Hb, serum calcium, vitamin D, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were analyzed.

Results: VDD was seen in most of the children with SCD irrespective of gender and age. Males aged 5–10 years showed significance (P = 0.0375) with vitamin D and white blood cell (WBC) (P = 0.0015) but males aged 11–16-year age group exhibited a very strong-positive correlation with vitamin D (r = 0.9862) and a very strong-negative correlation with Hb (r = −0.9819) and hsCRP (r = −0.9907). Among females, the 11–16-year age group patients exhibited a significant association with vitamin D (P = 0.0487), Ca (P = 0.0118), Hb (P = 0.0007), and hsCRP (P = 0.0001) levels. Correlation “r” values in this age group show a strong-negative correlation with WBC levels (r = −0.6525) as well as hsCRP (r = − 0.6550).

Conclusion: The increased deficiency of vitamin D in SCD children should be addressed at early ages of life, to reduce the occurrence and severity of associated comorbidities.

Author Biographies

Torki Al Zughaibi , a] King Fahd Medical Research Center King Abdulaziz University Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; b] Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

Associate Professor,

Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Sarah A. Khan, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

M.Phil (student volunteer on project)

Downloads

Published

2024-11-01

How to Cite

Khan, S. A., Al Zughaibi , T., & Khan, S. A. (2024). Vitamin D deficiency in pediatric sickle cell disease patients without crisis – A cry to investigate it on priority. International Journal of Health Sciences, 18(6), 3–9. Retrieved from https://pub.qu.edu.sa/index.php/journal/article/view/8633

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 6 (2024): Nov-Dec

Section

Original Paper

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.


Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).