Low levels of vitamin D are associated with asthma severity, airway remodeling, and exacerbation rate increase, especially in nonatopic asthma. Reduced steroid responsiveness or impaired antimicrobial defense might be underlying mechanisms.This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effect of long-acting vitamin D3 (400,000 IU), single oral dose, on sputum neutrophils and eosinophils in 44 patients with nonatopic asthma with neutrophilic (≥53%) and/or eosinophilic (≥3%) airway inflammation.
In patients with eosinophil levels of 26% or more (median in patients with sputum eosinophilia, >3%), eosinophils decreased from a median of 41% to 11.8% after vitamin D treatment. It also resulted in slightly better Asthma Control Questionnaire scores (P = .08).
Vitamin D supplementation reduced eosinophilic airway inflammation in patients with nonatopic asthma with severe eosinophilic airway inflammation, but did not affect sputum neutrophils. These findings suggest that vitamin D might have potential as an add-on treatment option in eosinophilic asthma.
References:
Vitamin D reduces eosinophilic airway inflammation in nonatopic asthma. Jantina C. de Groot et al. JACI, March 2015, Volume 135, Issue 3, Pages 670–675.e3.
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(14)01736-9/abstract
The World Allergy Organization (WAO) Small Airways Working Group publishes a monthly "What's New?" summary and I have served as an editor since 2011. The summary features the top 3 asthma/small airways articles each month. The article above is a part of the project. The archive is here: http://www.worldallergy.org/small_airways_group/reviews/archive.php
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