Food, drug, insect sting allergy, and anaphylaxisVitamin D levels and food and environmental allergies in the United States: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006
Section snippets
Study population
The population of NHANES 2005-2006 is the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. The survey used a complex, multistage, clustered, and stratified probability sample design to select participants. Non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans were oversampled17 to obtain accurate estimates in these subpopulations. Data from the survey and details of the plan and operation of NHANES 2005-2006 are publicly available on the Centers for Disease Control/ National Center for Health
Participants’ characteristics
In children, adolescents, and adults 25(OH)D levels of less than 15 ng/mL were associated with being non-Hispanic black and Mexican American; having a low SES; television, videogame, or computer use for more than 4 h/d; a lower frequency of milk drinking; and not taking vitamin D supplements (Table I, Table II). Additionally, in children and adolescents older age and female sex were also associated with lower 25(OH)D levels.
Prevalence of positive IgE test results by 25(OH)D levels
Overall IgE sensitization was more common in children and adolescents
Discussion
We found consistent associations between vitamin D deficiency and the presence of allergies in children and adolescents. Although there were some protective associations between 25(OH)D deficiency and allergic sensitization in adults, these were not as consistent as in children. This is the first large study evaluating a relationship between 25(OH)D levels and allergic sensitization.
Vitamin D and its immunologic functions have been implicated in a variety of inflammatory and allergic diseases.
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M. L. M. is supported by K23-DK078774 and J. K. is supported by K23 DK084339 from the National Institutes of Health.
Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: M. L. Melamed has received research support from the National Institutes of Health. The rest of the authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.