Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive decline of cognitive performance, which has a harmful impact on social activities. AD is the main cause of dementia and loss of functional independence in the elderly. AD is a worldwide concern because of its adverse consequences and expanding prevalence and incidence. Vitamin D is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide among children and adults. In addition to its classical function of bone metabolism regulation, vitamin D exhibits multiple biological targets mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Vitamin D is a risk factor for a wide range of diseases and, as a neurosteroid, has an essential role in nervous system development and protection. Vitamin D regulates mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of AD, including phagocytosis of amyloid-beta plaques, anti-inflammatory action, antioxidant action, regulation of intraneuronal calcium, ischemic zone size reduction, regulation of choline acetyltransferase enzyme and neurotrophic agents. This study aimed to evaluate the association between AD and vitamin D deficiency.
Methods: In this case-control study, 44 Alzheimer’s disease patients (diagnosed based on DSM-IV-TR criteria) compared with 40 patients that had no disease related to vitamin D. This study was performed in the neurology clinics of Roozbeh and Imam Khomeini Hospitals in Tehran, from April to March 2015. The demographic data were collected. After obtaining informed consent, venous blood was taken by clinical staff to measure the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. Statistical analysis was performed on data.

Results: The Mean age was 71.55 years old (69.88 for females and 73.74 for males) in the case group. Mean vitamin D levels were 26.31 ng/ml and 36.41 ng/ml in case and control groups, respectively. Vitamin D level was deficient (< 30 ng/ml) in 75% of patients, of which 23% were severely deficient (< 10 ng/ml). Statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between Alzheimer's disease and vitamin D levels (P=0.057), but when participants categorized into three groups based on serum vitamin D levels (deficient, insufficient, sufficient), we found a significant relationship between them (P=0.019).
Conclusion: Our results confirm the association between vitamin D deficiency and Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin D supplementation should be considered in individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease to reach sufficient vitamin D level.

Asthma is an inflammatory and chronic disease that affects about 300 million people globally. The disease is more common in developed countries. The increase in the prevalence of asthma is not only due to genetic factors, but also to many environmental factors related to urbanization and type of nutrition. It has been reported that obesity is an independent risk factor for asthma and obese children are at higher risk of asthma. The researchers found that many of the common phenotypes of obesity and asthma are due to genetic effects and some genetic component is common to asthma and obesity. Genetic data suggest that there are areas of genetic overlap between the obesity and asthma genes. These children experience more severe asthma and have a poor treatment outcome. On the other hand, there is an association between vitamin D deficiency in the earlier stages of life and incidence of asthma in the following years. Interestingly, obesity is a common risk factor for both asthma and vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, study on the interaction of asthma, obesity, and vitamin D deficiency may play an important role in unraveling the intricate nature of asthma. Prevalence of Pediatric asthma in 6-7 and 13-14 years-old children has been reported more than 10% in Iran. In this review we aimed to assess the latest findings about pediatric asthma and its association with obesity and vitamin D in Iran and the other countries. In addition, the results of a pilot study that has examined the frequency of overweight and obesity, as well as vitamin D deficiency in children with asthma in Tehran, are briefly presented. Enrolling a national study on obesity and vitamin D levels in children with asthma, can provide excellent information on the effects of obesity and vitamin D deficiency on asthma in Iranian children. Also the results could provide a basis for ecological studies to measure correlation between pediatric asthma and Sunlight and food and cultural habits in different parts of the country. Also, it is recommended that for a better understanding of the subject, experimental studies examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation and vitamin D-rich diets on the prevention and treatment of pediatric asthma in different age groups as well as different ethnicities of Iran.

Background: Urinary tract infection is one of the most common infectious diseases in children, the most severe form of which is acute pyelonephritis. Vitamin D plays a very important role in regulating the immune system, this study was conducted to compare vitamin D levels in children with urinary tract infections and healthy children in Kerman, Iran in 2020.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 63 children with pyelonephritis hospitalized in Afzalipour Hospital and 68 healthy children who were referred to Samen Al-Hojaj Clinic in Kerman, Iran from January 2020 to January 2021. Inclusion criteria for patients include the following: a) the presence of clinical signs and symptoms of infection such as fever b) pyuria, neurogenic bladder, urinary stones, chronic renal failure and previous diagnosis of urinary reflux. The case group was evaluated by taking a complete history, completing a questionnaire and clinical examination, and laboratory tests. The two groups were compared in terms of variables of sex, age and vitamin D levels.

Conclusion: Inadequate vitamin D levels are associated with the prevalence of urinary tract infections, and vitamin D supplementation can be a low-risk option for preventing urinary tract infections.

Results: In the group of children with tic disorders, the highest number of patients were girls and in the group of children who were healthy, the highest number of patients were girls. The average age of patients in the case group was 10.37±0.31 years old and the average age of patients in the control group was 10.06±0.41 years old. The average age difference between the children with tic disorders and healthy children was not statistically significant (P=0.971). The average body mass index (BMI) in the case group was 16.98±0.35 and the average BMI in the control group was 16.0±84.56. The average body mass index difference between the children with tic and healthy children was not statistically significant (P=0.838). The mean serum Vit 25(OH) D3 levels in the control group were higher than the average serum level of vitamin D in the case group. The mean serum vitamin D level difference between the children with tic disorders and healthy children was statistically considerable (P=0.036). Conclusion: The results showed that the average serum level of vitamin D in children with tic disorders was significantly lower than in children who were healthy. To investigate and confirm this relationship, more long-term studies with a larger number of patients are needed.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common among pregnant women and can lead to maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between the mother's vitamin D serum level and the infant's anthropometric indices and neurodevelopment.
Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted on a group of pregnant women who visited Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran from September to March 2020. Demographic information and anthropometric characteristics of the newborn were collected using the medical record. Blood samples were collected at the time of delivery to evaluate the mother's vitamin D status, and serum vitamin D levels were measured using standard laboratory procedures. The neurodevelopment of infants was assessed at the age of 6 months through the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ). Data analysis included using descriptive statistics to summarize maternal and neonatal characteristics. The relationships between maternal serum vitamin D levels, neonatal anthropometric indicators, and neurodevelopmental outcomes were examined through Spearman's rank correlation and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: In total, 123 pregnant women participated in this study, with a mean age of 31.41 years (±5.75). The mean birth weight, height, and head circumference of the neonates were 3208.33 grams (±706.05), 34.32 cm (±3.91), and 50.33 cm (±2.30), respectively. Statistical analysis showed no significant correlations between maternal serum vitamin D levels and the infants' weight (P=0.318), height (P=0.531), or head circumference (P=0.241). Furthermore, there was no significant association between maternal vitamin D levels and any of the assessed neurodevelopmental domains at six months (P > 0.05). Conclusion:  While this study did not find a positive correlation between the mother's vitamin D serum level and the anthropometric indices and neurodevelopmental domains of infants at six months, it is important to interpret these results cautiously due to the study's limitations. Thus, it is advisable to conduct prospective cohort studies with large sample sizes in diverse demographics nationwide.

Background: Nephrolithiasis is one of the oldest known systemic diseases of kidney and urinary tract in children. This study aimed to compare the serum level of vitamin D in children with nephrolithiasis and healthy children.
Methods: The present descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2017 to September 2019. 74 children with kidney stones and 63 healthy children referring to Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman were selected by simple sampling method. Healthy children who were considered as the control group were matched with the case group in terms of age and gender. All patients underwent kidney and urinary tract ultrasound. The diagnosis of kidney stones was based on the radiologist's opinion. Demographic characteristics of patients (age and sex) were recorded. Patients' blood tests were checked for vitamin D and calcium. Descriptive and analytical methods and SPSS software version 21 were used to analyze the data.

Results: The average age of children with kidney stones and healthy children was 5.41±1.8 and 10.06±0.41 years old, respectively (P=0.971). The most number of patients were boys (58.1%). 29.7% of patients and 15.9% of healthy children had a family history of kidney stones (P=0.056). 71.6% of patients had unilateral kidney stones and 28% had bilateral kidney stones. The mean serum level of vitamin D was higher in healthy children (P=0.021). The average calcium was higher in children with kidney stones (P=0.001). The average calcium was higher in children with kidney stones who had a family history of kidney stones (P=0.018). Average calcium was higher in children with bilateral kidney stones (11.4±1.1) (P=0.033). The mean calcium was higher in children with kidney stones with vitamin D deficiency (P=0.001) and sufficient vitamin D levels (P=0.037). Conclusion: The average level of vitamin D serum in healthy children was significantly higher than that of children with kidney stones, and the average level of calcium in children with kidney stones was significantly higher than that of healthy children. Larger studies with more patients are needed to investigate these relationships.

Results: The mean age of the patients participating in the case group was 52.17±10.6 and in the control group was 51.24±9.7. There was no statistically significant difference in age (P=0.654). There was also no significant difference between the two groups in terms of body mass index and different body index classifications, menopause age, and age of onset of menstruation. The number of months of breastfeeding in the control group was significantly higher than the case group (P=0.001). The results of logistic regression showed that, on the other hand, there was no significant relationship between the type of pathology of the disease and serum vitamin D levels. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that vitamin D deficiency can be a poor prognostic factor in the course of breast cancer.

Results: The results of the study show that after 8 weeks of aerobic exercise, vitamin D, BMI, NO, ET-1 and weight were significantly affected (P < 0.05) and systolic blood pressure in the supplement, supplement + exercise and exercise + placebo groups changed compared to the control group(P < 0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, the results showed that taking eight weeks of vitamin D supplements along with aerobic activity reduced blood pressure indices in the subjects. Also, taking vitamin D supplements along with physical activity reduced BMI and increased NO, reduced ET-1 and body weight in the subjects in the study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with various complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and neonatal infections. This study aimed to measure the level of vitamin D in the umbilical cord blood of full-term and premature babies and consider the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women.
Methods: In this case-control study, maternal vitamin D levels and umbilical cord blood vitamin D levels were estimated in March 2023 at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz. The information obtained from questionnaires and laboratory measurements was statistically analyzed. Two groups of term or preterm infants delivered vaginally were enrolled in this study. As part of routine delivery room protocols, 2 mL of umbilical cord blood was collected from each neonate in a non-heparinized tube. The results were determined, and the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was determined. The samples were categorized into three groups based on vitamin D serum levels: less than 20 ng/ml (severe deficiency), 20-29 ng/ml (moderate deficiency), and higher than 30 ng/ml (normal group).
Results:  In this study, 39 term infants (55.7%) and 31 preterm infants (44.3%) participated. The mean umbilical cord blood vitamin D levels were 44.15 ± 24.33 ng/mL in term infants and 30.98 ± 17.05 ng/mL in preterm infants. Similarly, maternal vitamin D levels averaged 17.09 ± 7.87 ng/mL for term pregnancies and 18.76 ± 6.6 ng/mL for preterm pregnancies. Preterm babies had higher odds of underlying diseases (OR: 2.31, 95% CI: 0.51-10.53). Multivitamin consumption was more prevalent among mothers of premature babies (71%). No significant differences in vitamin D levels were found between term and preterm babies or their mothers (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:  This study highlights the importance of multivitamin consumption among pregnant women, particularly those at risk of preterm delivery. The increased likelihood of underlying conditions and delayed recovery of vitamin D levels in preterm infants underscores the need for targeted interventions. Moreover, healthcare providers should emphasize vitamin D supplementation and monitoring.