Serum level and clinical significance of vitamin E in children with allergic rhinitis

Abstract Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) has an increasing prevalence in children and its etiology has aroused wide concern. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum concentrations of vitamin E and allergic rhinitis (AR) to determine if the vitamin E level is correlated with the occurrence and severity of AR. Methods: A total of 113 children were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Sixty-five children in the outpatient group were diagnosed with AR, and 48 healthy children were recruited as controls. All subjects underwent serum vitamin E measurements. Serum tototal IgE (tIgE), the five most common allergen- specific IgE (sIgE) levels and skin prick test (SPT) were measured in children with AR. The severity of AR was assessed with the nasal symptoms score. Results: Serum vitamin E levels were significantly lower in the AR group than in the normal children (p<0.001). A significant negative correlation was observed between serum vitamin E levels and sIgE as well as the SPT grade. Serum vitamin E levels were also inversely related to the nasal symptoms score; however, statistical significance was not found. Conclusions: A significantly lower vitamin E level was found in children with AR. Lower serum vitamin E levels play a role in the occurrence of AR in children. However, serum vitamin E levels were not statistically correlated with the severity of AR.