effect of vitamin d3 supplementation on il-10 level and severity of pneumonia in children: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Pneumonia is a significant contributor to global child mortality, accounting for approximately 15% of total deaths in children under five. vitamin d deficiency has been identified as a potential factor in respiratory tract infections. this study aimed to investigate the impact of vitamin d3 on calcidiol, il-10, and pneumonia severity in children, offering valuable insights into the relationship between vitamin d3 supplementation, il-10 levels, and pneumonia severity. conducted on children aged 1 month to 5 years diagnosed with pneumonia, the research employed a rigorous experimental design, including double-blind procedures, a control group, pretest-posttest measurements, and appropriate controls. data collection took place from march to june 2022. participants received standard therapy and a single oral dose of 100,000 iu of vitamin d3 (cholecalciferol). calcidiol and il-10 levels were assessed, with serum levels examined after 8 days. statistical analyses using mann-whitney u test and paired t-test in spss version 25 were conducted. the study comprised 46 participants (30 males, 16 females) with an average age of 24 months in the control group. post-supplementation, calcidiol levels were 53.08 ± 64.5 ng/ml (p = 0.04), while il-10 levels were 130.39 pg/ml (p=0.27). a significant difference in pneumonia severity was noted post-supplementation compared to the pre-supplementation period (p<0.001). thus, vitamin d3 supplementation influenced pneumonia severity, but did not significantly impact il-10 level changes. this study sheds light on potential avenues for improving pneumonia outcomes in children through targeted vitamin d supplementation.