Relation between Serum Vitamin D Concentrations and BCG Vaccination Response In Infants

Abstract

BCG vaccines derived from the original Calmette- Guerin culture of M.bovis. BCG vaccination is administered in infancy in most countries with the aim of providing protection against mycobacterial infections such as tuberculosis. Vitamin D may play an immuno-regulatory role following BCG vaccination. The increased vitamin D concentrations in BCG vaccinated infants could have important implications: vitamin D may play a role in immunity induced by BCG vaccination and may contribute to non-specific effects observed following BCG vaccination This study objective is to determine if there was an association between serum 25 (OH) D concentrations and post – BCG vaccination status tested by tuberculin test (Mantoux) in infants. This cross sectional study was conducted on 90 infants, 48 males and 42 females during the period of clinical part of the study from July 2011 to January 2013 . Cases were selected from patients attending the Paediatric Chest Clinic for follow up and Outpatients' Clinic, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University. They were divided into three equal groups: group I (normal reactors to BCG vaccine), group II (complicated after BCG vaccine) and group III (non reactors to BCG vaccine). There was statistically significant difference among the three groups regarding to residency, vitamin D intake and ventilation index There was statistically significant difference among the three groups regarding to motor development.