Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2025 Aug 13:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2025.2545521. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This retrospective cross-sectional study examined differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D), total IgE, eosinophil levels, and outdoor exposure time in relation to disease severity in children with Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). It also assessed these parameters across VKC subtypes.
METHODS: The study included 40 VKC patients and 43 healthy controls. Ophthalmologic examinations, serum 25-OH D, total IgE, eosinophil levels, and outdoor exposure times were evaluated. Disease severity was graded using Bonini’s system. Multinomial logistic regression was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: VKC patients had significantly lower 25-OH D (16.70 ± 5.50 vs. 23.98 ± 7.83 ng/ml, p < 0.001), higher IgE (248.52 ± 161.16 vs. 34.86 ± 17.38 ng/ml, p < 0.001), elevated eosinophils (365.72 ± 182.43 vs. 152.06 ± 80.23 cells/ml, p < 0.001), and reduced outdoor time (136.50 ± 42.39 vs. 210.0 ± 44.40 minutes, p < 0.001) compared to controls. 25-OH D negatively correlated with IgE (r = -0.505, p < 0.001) and eosinophils (r = -0.643, p < 0.001). Elevated IgE was significantly linked to mild-to-moderate VKC severity (OR = 1.120, p = 0.001).
CONCLUSION: VKC patients exhibited lower serum 25-OH D and reduced daytime outdoor exposure, likely due to photophobia, compared to controls. No significant association was found between vitamin D or outdoor time and VKC severity. High IgE and eosinophil levels support VKC’s allergic origin. The inverse correlations between 25-OH D, IgE, and eosinophil may suggest an immunomodulatory role. Large-scale, prospective interventional studies are warranted to validate these findings and elucidate causal relationships.
PMID:40802791 | DOI:10.1080/09273948.2025.2545521
