ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The relationship between vitamin D and allergic rhinitis (AR) remains unclear. The present study investigated their association by examining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, blood eosinophils, and the expression of vitamin D receptors (VDR) on nasal mucosa in patients with AR. METHODS: A total of 32 patients with persistent AR and 25 controls were enrolled in this study. Serum 25(OH)D levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and eosinophils in the peripheral blood were examined by an automated hematology system, while VDR expression on inferior turbinate mucosa was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the correlation of serum 25(OH)D levels with blood eosinophils in persistent AR was analyzed. RESULTS: No significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels was detected between the AR and control groups (p = 0.371). Interestingly, the serum 25(OH)D levels of the AR group were negatively correlated with blood eosinophil count and its proportion (p = 0.019 and p = 0.010, respectively) even when adjusting confounding factors including age, sex, body mass index, and the season of blood sampling. On the other hand, no significant difference in the expression levels of VDR on nasal mucosa was found between the AR group and the control group (p = 0.231). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the serum 25(OH)D might be inversely associated with blood eosinophils in patients with persistent AR. However, the relationship between vitamin D and AR still requires further clarification