Rationale for and clinical and laboratory evaluation of the efficiency of using vitamin D in the combination therapy of acute intestinal infections in children

Objective. To evaluate the clinical and laboratory efficiency of using vitamin D in the combination therapy of acute intestinal infections (AIIs) of various etiologies in 1- to 6-year-old children with varying vitamin D status. Subjects and methods. A total of 215 hospitalized children were examined. Of them, 106 patients received standard therapy and 109 had vitamin D supplementation calculated with reference to the vitamin D [serum 25(OH)D] status for one month (the status was examined at 1, 8, and 30 days of therapy). General clinical indicators, gastrointestinal digestive function, severity of inflammation in the intestinal wall (fecal calprotectin (FCP) values), and serum 25(OH)D levels were assessed. Results. Patients even with deficiency in vitamin D after its supplementation were noted to have a shorter relief of the main clinical manifestations of the disease (p < 0.01), normalization of stool on discharge in all the patients (p < 0.01). In the early convalescence period after bacterial AIIs and intestinal infections of unknown etiology, the coli distal syndrome was completely relieved; elevated FCP levels were recorded only in 17.9% of cases; the 25 (OH) D levels did not decrease, but remained unchanged, and reached the optimum level of vitamin D at 30 days of its therapy. Conclusion. There is evidence that the use of vitamin D at the therapeutic doses is effective not only in treating Alls of various etiologies, but also in normalizing the vitamin D status.

children, acute intestinal infections, vitamin D status, serum 25 (OH)D, fecal calprotectin