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Serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and ionised calcium in relation to lung function and allergen skin tests

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 65, pages 493–500 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Evidence suggests that higher levels of vitamin D and calcium are associated with greater lung function and that vitamin D is inversely associated with atopic sensitisation. It is unknown whether the associations of vitamin D and calcium with lung function are independent of each other or mediated by atopic sensitisation.

Objective:

To study the associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and ionised calcium levels with lung function and specific allergen sensitisation in adolescents (12–19 years) and adults (20–59 years) and to assess whether the associations with lung function are due to altered atopic sensitisation.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional analysis of the data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Results:

The 25(OH)D levels were positively associated with forced vital capacity in adolescents (0.035 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.007–0.064) s.d.; s.d. in model adjusted for multiple confounders). This association and the previously reported association between higher serum levels of 25(OH)D and better lung function in adults were independent of serum calcium levels, which were not associated with lung function. In adults, calcium was associated with sensitisation to grass allergens (odds ratio per s.d., 1.17 (95% CI: 1.03–1.32), 1.15 (95% CI: 1.01–1.31) and 1.18 (95% CI: 1.06–1.32) for white oak, Bermuda grass and short ragweed, respectively) and peanut odds ratio 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02–1.43) after adjusting for age, gender and race/ethnicity, but these associations attenuated towards the null after adjusting for additional confounders. The associations were independent of 25(OH)D levels, which were not associated with allergen sensitisation.

Conclusions:

Circulating levels of 25(OH)D are positively associated with lung function and this does not seem to be driven by allergen sensitisation or influenced by calcium levels.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council Grant (G0701603), which also pays the salary of AMT. The Medical Research Council and the University of Bristol provide core funding for the Medical Research Council Centre of Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology (G0600705). DW is funded by a Wellcome Trust 4 year PhD studentship in Molecular, genetic and life-course epidemiology (WT083431MA). The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of any funding body or others whose support is acknowledged. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Centre for Causal Analyses in Translational Epidemiology, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    A-M Tolppanen, D Williams & D A Lawlor

  2. School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    J Henderson

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  1. A-M Tolppanen
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  2. D Williams
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  3. J Henderson
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  4. D A Lawlor
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Correspondence to A-M Tolppanen.

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Tolppanen, AM., Williams, D., Henderson, J. et al. Serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and ionised calcium in relation to lung function and allergen skin tests. Eur J Clin Nutr 65, 493–500 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.6

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