Association of Serum Vitamin D Deficiency with Clinical and Laboratory Indicators of Gastroenteritis in Pediatric Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Gastroenteritis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. Vitamin D has been implicated in immune modulation and inflammatory regulation, yet its association with pediatric gastroenteritis remains unclear. Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and clinical as well as laboratory indicators of gastroenteritis in children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted between 2018 and 2019 at Amirkabir Hospital in Arak, Iran, 66 pediatric patients (> 2 years old) diagnosed with gastroenteritis were enrolled. Participants were classified as vitamin D–sufficient (≥ 30 ng/mL) or vitamin D–insufficient/deficient (< 30 ng/mL). Demographic data, clinical findings (duration of diarrhea, vomiting frequency, fever, dehydration severity, hospitalization duration), and laboratory parameters (stool white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) presence, urea, sodium, potassium, and C-reactive protein [CRP]) were compared between groups. Statistical analyses included t-tests, Mann–Whitney U, chi-square, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), with significance set at P < 0.05. Results: Of the 66 participants (33 per group), no significant differences were observed between vitamin D–deficient and sufficient groups in age, sex, diarrhea duration, vomiting frequency, fever, dehydration status, or laboratory indices (P > 0.05). However, CRP positivity was more common among children with low vitamin D levels (81.8% vs. 57.5%, P = 0.046). Conclusions: Although most clinical and laboratory parameters were not associated with vitamin D status, the higher CRP positivity in vitamin D–deficient children may suggest a link between low vitamin D and enhanced inflammatory response during acute gastroenteritis.