The Diagnostic Value of Allergic Inflammation Markers in Infants With Bronchiolitis

Abstract

Introduction. It is quite important to study the markers of allergic inflammation depending on the status of vitamin D in order to understand the pathogenetic links of bronchiolitis in infants.Aim of study. Analysis of the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and indicators of allergic inflammation (eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and IgE) in infants with bronchiolitis.Materials and methods. A clinical examination of 55 infants was conducted. The main group consisted of 25 children with bronchiolitis who had a history of allergies. The comparison group consisted of 20 children with bronchiolitis without a burdensome allergy history. The control group included 10 relatively healthy children. The mean age of children in the main group was 7.2 ± 1.4 months, 6.4 ± 1.2 months in the comparison group, and 9.2 ± 1.6 months in the control group.Results of the study. It was found that the duration of hospital stay in children of the main group was 8.2 ± 1.32 days, while in children of the comparison group the duration of stay in hospital was significantly shorter (p <0.05). We found a significant difference in the indicators of allergic inflammation that depended on the status of vitamin D in the examined children. Thus, in children with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, a marked increase in ECP (56.3 ± 12.8 ng / ml) and total IgE levels to 127.5 ± 3.12 IU / ml was found compared to the same indicators as in children of the main group with the optimal level of 25 (OH) D, and in children of the comparison group, p˂0,001. It should be noted that the rate of allergic inflammation marker ECP in children of the comparison group with deficiency and insufficiency of vitamin D in serum also had a significant difference when compared with infants of the control group, p˂0.05. Conclusions. In children with bronchiolitis, obtained history of allergies and insufficient levels of vitamin D and its insufficiency, the severity of the disease is manifested by a longer duration of clinical symptoms and hospital stay. Eosinophilic cationic protein can be considered as a marker of allergic inflammation in infants with bronchiolitis.