Vitamin D status, VDR genetic polymorphisms and fecal markers of intestinal mucosal permeability in children with food allergy

Introduction. Knowing the patient’s genetic profile, it is possible to predict the likelihood of developing food allergies.

Aim. The study was to conduct a study in children with allergic enteropathy: vitamin D levels, genotypic distribution of polymorphic variants of the VDR gene, the content of fecal biomarkers (zonulin, I-FABP and b-defensin 2).

Materials and methods. The study included 30 toddlers: 15 children with allergic enteropathy (main group) and 15 healthy children (control group). In the blood serum, 25(OH)D was determined by enzyme immunoassay, and the real-time polymerase chain reaction method was used to identify VDR gene polymorphisms. The content of fecal biomarkers (zonulin, b-defensin 2, I-FABP) was estimated in coprofiltrates using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.

Results. There was a statistically significant decrease in the level of 25(OH)D in children of the main group compared with healthy children (21.4 ng/ml and 32.4 ng/ml, respectively, p = 0.006). In the coprofiltrates of children in the main group, an increase in the concentration of zonulin, b-defensin 2 and I-FABP was noted compared to the control (1.6 ng/ml and 0.6 ng/ml (p < 0.001), 0.3 ng/ml and 0.1 ng/ml (p = 0.003), 0.42 ng/ml, and 0.19 ng/ml (p < 0.001), respectively). In children with allergic enteropathy, a high frequency of occurrence of the homozygous genotype T/T polymorphism TaqI (rs731236) of the VDR gene has been recorded. The content of 25(OH)D is inversely correlated with b-defensin 2 and I-FABP (rs = – 0.673, p < 0.001 and rs = – 0.399, p = 0.029, respectively).

Conclusions. In patients with allergic enteropathy, insufficient levels of 25(OH)D, increased concentrations of the studied markers in feces, and an increased prevalence of the homozygous T/T genotype of the TaqI polymorphic variant (rs731236) of the VDR gene were detected.

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