HEMATOLOGICAL INDICES RELATED TO VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY IN OBESE CHILDREN.

Introduction: Vitamin D is involved in differentiation and induction of erythropoiesis in bone marrow cells.

Aim: We compared the serum 25(OH) vitamin D level in obese children versus control and found correlations between vitamin D level and hematological indices in obese children.

Materials and methods: 25 overweight and obese patients and 15 normal weight children were enrolled in an observational study .

Results: In obese children, the serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D was significantly (p<0.04) lower (20.60 ng/mL) compared with the value from normal weight ones (25.63 ng/mL) and the body fat percentage BFP was higher. We found a positive correlation (r=0.44, p<0.05) between serum vitamin D and hemoglobin level and a negative one between serum vitamin D and the number of platelets (r= -0.43, p<0.05). Also, the serum iron was at the lower normal limit in the obese children and negatively correlated with the percent of the body fat (r= -0,62, p<0.05).

Conclusion: Obese children have vitamin D deficiency. The hemoglobin level and the number of platelets are correlated with the serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D. Supplements with vitamin D may have pleiotropic effects, including those on bone marrow activity.