Association between plasma level of vitamin D and children undergoing tonsillectomy

Background & objects: vitamin D effects on immune system. Tonsils as a part of immune system have active role in transferring foreign material into lymphoid cells and diagnosis of antigens. Tonsil hypertrophy with difficulty in breathing or ingestion is one of the indications of tonsillectomy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate association between plasma level of vitamin D and tonsil hypertrophy in children undergoing tonsillectomy. Method: 200 children that admitted to ear, nose, throat (ENT) clinic, divided into 2 groups. Case group included 100 patients that had tonsil hypertrophy (grade 3 or 4) that accompanied with signs such as snoring. These patients were candidate for tonsillectomy. Control group didn't have any related disease and didn't take any drugs. In addition to completing questionnaire, plasma level of 25(OH) vitamin D was measured by electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and all data were analyzed by SPSS program. Results: in this study, plasma level of vitamin D in males was significantly higher than females (P=0.003). In people with tonsil hypertrophy, plasma level of vitamin D was significantly lower than control group (P=0.036). But there was no relationship between plasma level of vitamin D and tonsil size. 95 of 200 people had vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency had no difference in both group (P=0.5) but was more prevalent in case group (65% in case group versus 35% in control group) and was significantly higher in males than females (P=0.001) and 74 of 200 people had insufficient vitamin D that there was no correlation between plasma level of vitamin D with gender, groups and tonsil size. Conclusion: results showed that plasma level of vitamin D in females and patients with tonsil hypertrophy is lower and vitamin D deficiency is more prevalent in children with tonsil hypertrophy. Thus, another study should be designed to confirm correlation between vitamin D and tonsil diseases and after confirmation, use of vitamin D supplements should be considered in patients with tonsil diseases