The role of vitamin D3 and interleukin-6 in the pathogenesis of anemia of inflammation in children with acute inflammatory bacterial diseases of the respiratory tract

Abstract

Background. The purpose was to study the pathophysiological relationship of vitamin D and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its role in the development of anemia of inflammation in young children with acute inflammatory bacterial diseases of the respiratory tract. Materials and methods. The content of 25(OH)D3, IL-6, and ferritin was analyzed in 40 young children (average age 1.6 ± 0.4 years) by enzyme immunoassay. The basic group consisted of 20 children with acute inflammatory bacterial diseases of the respiratory tract: 14 patients were diagnosed with acute bacterial bronchitis, and 6 children were diagnosed with pneumonia. Patients of the basic group were divided into two subgroups: the first group consisted of 10 children with anemia of inflammation, the second — 10 children with acute bacterial diseases of the respiratory tract without manifestations of anemia. The comparison group consisted of 10 children with iron deficiency anemia without manifestations of inflammatory respiratory diseases. Ten apparently healthy children represented the control group. Results. In the first subgroup of children, the level of 25(OH)D3 was borderline (29.99 (28.1; 36.5) ng/ml), in the second subgroup, its insufficiency was observed (27.4 (26.1; 31.2) ng/ml). The level of 25(OH)D3 was 1.3–1.6 times lower than the indicators of patients in the control group (43.0 (38.2; 47.0) ng/ml) (p 0.05), but compared to the basic group, it was significantly higher (p 0.05). When the level of vitamin D supply is below 30 ng/ml, the established relationships are violated and the deposition of iron worsens, which in turn creates conditions for the further vital activity of the pathogen. Conclusions. The course of acute inflammatory bacterial diseases of the respiratory system in young children is characterized by a decrease in the level of vitamin D3 in the blood serum whereby the content of pro-inflammatory cytokines negatively correlates with the level of vitamin D. The development of anemia of inflammation indicates a certain balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of acute inflammatory bacterial diseases of the respiratory tract in young children.

Keywords

• young children, anemia of inflammation, vitamin d, interleukin-6