Role of Vitamin D in Bronchiectasis (CF versus Non CF Patients)

Abstract

ystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal autosomal recessive respiratory disease in the western world with an estimated incidence of 1 per 300 live births. Most patients with CF succumb to respiratory failure from chronic pulmonary failure infections. Non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis often start in childhood with a significant impact on morbidity. Bronchiectasis is conventionally used as a descriptive term for an irreversible pathological state characterized by chronic suppurative airway disease manifested clinically by chronic productive cough and radiologically by bronchial dilation and often thick-walled bronchi. The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 20 cystic fibrosis patients, 20 non cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients, 20 controls (all above 6 months old, patients were recruited from the pediatric emergency room, inpatient wards and specialized chest & GIT clinics of the children’s Hospital Ain Shams university hospitals. Vitamin D serum level was measured in CF & non CF bronchiectasis patients and controls & pulmonary function tests were done to the patients prior starting vitamin D supplementation then vitamin D serum level was followed up in the patients after treatment & also pulmonary function tests were repeated. Controls were assessed by basal serum vitamin D level. The aim of this study was to assess vitamin D effect on decreasing pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.