The etiology and pathogenic mechanism of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are still unclear. The relationship between vitamin D and ASD has drawn attention in recent years due to common vitamin D deficiency in children with ASD. This article reviews the peripheral blood levels of vitamin D in children with ASD, the possible reasons for hypovitamin D and its possible roles in the etiology of ASD and the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in ASD.
Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Vitamin D ; administration & dosage ; blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; blood ; drug therapy

PURPOSE: The decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) is a major complication after kidney transplantation. This was reported to occur preferentially during the first 6 months. However, the treatment and prevention strategies against a decline of BMD are not yet clear. METHODS: The data on the pre-transplant baseline and post-transplant 1 year BMD were archived and retrieved in 125 renal transplant recipients. The post-transplant changes of the BMD were compared by the baseline status of the BMD and the types of anti-osteoporosis treatment either with a vitamin D agent (alfacalcidiol) (n=18) or alendronate (n=21). Anti-osteoporosis treatment began within 30 days after transplantation, with an oral administration of 0.5 mcg/day vitamin D or 70 mg/week alendronate, and maintained until 1 year after transplantation. RESULTS: Regardless the degree of baseline BMD status, each group (the control, vitamin D, or alendronate group) showed a significant and uniform decrease of BMD during the post-transplant 1 year. The mean change in the spine BMD in the control, vitamin D, and alendronate group was -7.1+/-7.5%, -3.3+/-7.4% and -2.6+/-6.5%, respectively. The femur BMD also changed -5.1+/-7.7%, 1.1+/-5.3% and -1.5+/-8.2%, respectively. The degree of BMD decrease in the treatment groups was significantly lower than that in the control (P=0.014 in spine, P=0.003 in femur). When the severely reduced baseline BMD (T-score of spine or femur < or =-1) subgroups were analysed separately, the treatment groups (-3.7+/-6.5% in vitamin D and -1.1+/-6.4% in alendronate group) showed a significantly less decrease in the spine BMD than the control (-8.2+/-6.2%)(P=0.036). The femur BMD also showed a less decrease in the BMD in the treatment group, but this was not statistically significant (P=0.234). There was no significant difference between the vitamin D and alendronate treatment groups. CONCLUSION: After renal transplantation, early administration of vitamin D or alendronate showed some benefit to reduce the post-transplant decrease of BMD in both spine and femur area.
Administration, Oral ; Alendronate* ; Bone Density* ; Femur ; Kidney Transplantation* ; Spine ; Transplantation ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

Brain ; physiology ; Child ; Dyssomnias ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Sleep ; drug effects ; Vitamin D ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; complications ; drug therapy ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate vitamin D level at birth and possible influencing factors in preterm infants.

METHODSA total of 600 preterm infants were enrolled, and venous blood samples were collected within 24 hours after birth to measure the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. The effect of sex, birth weight, birth season, gestational age, mother's age, body mass index (BMI) in early pregnancy, delivery mode, and complications during pregnancy on serum 25(OH)D level was analyzed.

RESULTSThe rates of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were 42.0%, 38.7%, and 19.3% respectively. The preterm infants born in summer and autumn had a significantly higher serum 25(OH)D level than those born in winter (P<0.05) and a significantly lower incidence rate of vitamin D deficiency than those born in spring and winter (P<0.003). Compared with those whose mothers were aged <30 years, the infants whose mothers were aged ≥30 years had a significantly higher serum 25(OH)D level (P<0.05) and a significantly lower incidence rate of vitamin D deficiency (P<0.017). Compared with those whose mothers were overweight or had normal body weight, the infants whose mothers were obese had a significantly lower serum 25(OH)D level (P<0.05) and a significantly higher incidence rate of vitamin D deficiency (P<0.006). Compared with those whose mothers had no preeclampsia, the infants whose mothers had preeclampsia during pregnancy had a significantly lower serum 25(OH)D level (P<0.05) and a significantly higher incidence rate of vitamin D deficiency (P<0.017). The multivariate analysis showed that birth in winter and spring, mother's age <30 years, and early-pregnancy BMI ≥28 kg/mwere risk factors for vitamin D deficiency (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThere is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in preterm infants. Vitamin D supplementation should be given to the preterm infants with high-risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.

Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; blood ; Infant, Premature ; blood ; Male ; Seasons ; Vitamin D ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; epidemiology ; etiology

There are inconsistent findings on the effects of vitamin K on bone mineral density (BMD) and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (UcOC). The present intervention study evaluated the effect in subjects over 60-yr-old. The vitamin K group (vitamin K + vitamin D + calcium supplement; 15 mg of vitamin K2 [menatetrenone] three times daily, 400 IU of vitamin D once a day, and 315 mg of calcium twice daily) and the control group (vitamin D + calcium supplement) were randomly assigned. During the six months of treatment, seventy eight women participated (38 in the vitamin K group and 40 in the control group) and 45 women completed the study. The baseline characteristics of study participants did not differ between the vitamin K and the control groups. In a per protocol analysis after 6 months, L3 bone mineral density has increased statistically significantly in the vitamin K group compared to the control group (0.01 +/- 0.03 g/cm2 vs -0.008 +/- 0.04 g/cm2, P = 0.049). UcOC concentration was also significantly decreased in the vitamin K group (-1.6 +/- 1.6 ng/dL vs -0.4 +/- 1.1 ng/dL, P = 0.008). In conclusion, addition of vitamin K to vitamin D and calcium supplements in the postmenopausal Korean women increase the L3 BMD and reduce the UcOC concentration.
Aged ; Bone Density/*drug effects ; Calcium/*administration & dosage ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteocalcin/*blood ; Postmenopause ; Republic of Korea ; Vitamin D/*administration & dosage ; Vitamin K/*administration & dosage

An adequate supply of vitamin D is considered necessary for osteoporosis management and fracture prevention. Intermittent high-dose vitamin D supplementation is an effective and convenient way to achieve and maintain sufficient vitamin D status. However, the long-term effectiveness of supplementation for preventing falls and fractures is unclear, and some deleterious effects of such treatments have been reported. Concerning these issues, the Korean Society for Bone and Mineral Research task force team reviewed previous clinical trials and provided the following perspectives based on current evidence: 1) An adequate supply of vitamin D is necessary for preventing falls and fractures in postmenopausal women and men older than 50 years. An oral intake of 800 to 1,000 IU/day of vitamin D is generally recommended. 2) Care should be taken concerning the routine use of intermittent high-dose vitamin D, as large-scale clinical trials showed increased risk of falls or fractures after high-dose vitamin D administration. Intermittent high-dose vitamin D supplementation is recommendable only in cases of malabsorption or when oral administration is not suitable. 3) Monitoring of the serum level of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25[OH]D) is advisable, especially when intermittent high-dose vitamin D is used for supplementation. The task force team suggests that a serum 25(OH)D level of >20 ng/mL is generally appropriate for the prevention of osteoporosis, and that a serum 25(OH)D level of >30 ng/mL is probably helpful both for the management of osteoporosis and the prevention of fractures and falls. However, serum 25(OH)D level >50 ng/mL (this value can vary depending on the measurement method used) is unnecessary and may be undesirable. These perspectives are relevant for the management of osteoporosis, falls, or fractures. Other metabolic bone diseases or non-skeletal disorders are not within the scope of these perspectives.
Accidental Falls ; Administration, Oral ; Advisory Committees* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methods ; Miners* ; Osteoporosis ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: The aims of this study are to measure the serum levels of fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A and D) from bile duct ligated rats, and to evaluate the effect of oral bile acids administration to facilitate absorption of fat soluble vitamins. METHOD: We measured serum ALT, total bilirubin, vitamin A, and vitamin D of Sprague-Dawley rats 1 week before and 4 weeks after experimental bile duct ligation. Rats were consisted with 3 groups. Group 2 had been find bile acids and group 3 ursodeoxycholic acid after operation for 4 weeks. Multi-vitamin was given to all groups. RESULTS: 1) Base line (mean value before duct ligation): ALT 74.2 IU, total bilirubin 0.26 mg/dL; vitamin D 13.01 ng/mL vitamin A 0.87 microgram/mL, total bile acids 25.16 micron mol/L. 2) Four weeks after ligation: ALT 100.7 IU, total bilirubin 2.58 mg/dL; vitamin D 7.89 ng/mL vitamin A 1.37 microgram/mL, total bile acids 278.22 micron mol/L. 3) 4 weeks after ligation, each group (group 1, group 2 and group 3) showed vitamin D (7.62, 8.10 and 7.99) ng/mL, vitamin A (1.68, 1.06 and 1.33) microgram/mL, total bile acids (233.17, 345.80 and 268.57) micron mol/L, which were statistically not significant. CONCLUSION: Serum level of vitamin A is increased after bile duct ligation although vitamin D is decreased. Oral administration of bile acids does not affect the serum levels of vitamin A and D in bile duct ligated rats.
Absorption ; Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Bile Acids and Salts ; Bile Ducts* ; Bile* ; Bilirubin ; Cholestasis ; Ligation ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid ; Vitamin A ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: The association between excess calcium intake and cardiovascular mortality has already been reported. In the present study, we investigated the relation between dietary calcium intake and Framingham Risk Score (FRS) according to serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 7809 subjects (3452 males and 4357 female) aged over 40 years were selected for this cross-sectional study from data obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008-2011). Daily dietary calcium intake was categorized into <300, 300-600, 600-900, 900-1200, and >1200 mg/day and serum 25(OH)D concentration classified into <50, 50-75, >75 mmol/L. The FRS was compared by the daily dietary calcium intake categories according to 25(OH)D concentration after adjustment with relevant variables in both genders. RESULTS: Higher FRS was observed in males with both <300 mg and >1200 mg of dietary calcium intake and females with <300 mg of dietary calcium intake without adjustment. The significantly higher FRS remained in the <300 mg and >1200 mg of dietary calcium intake groups in both genders after adjustments for relevant variables. FRS was significantly higher in the group with >1200 mg of dietary calcium intake and serum 25(OH)D <50 nmol/L, which was the male only vitamin D deficient group. CONCLUSION: Very low (<300 mg/day) and excess (>1200 mg/day) dietary calcium intake were related with higher FRS in both genders. In particular, higher FRS was observed in the excess (>1200 mg/day) dietary calcium intake male group under vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L).
Adult ; Aged ; Calcifediol ; Calcium, Dietary/*administration & dosage ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Republic of Korea ; Risk ; *Risk Assessment ; Vitamin D/*analogs & derivatives/blood ; Vitamin D Deficiency/*blood

INTRODUCTIONVitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women, and supplementation of vitamin D is necessary for the infants of these women. This study explored the efficacy of an alternative way of vitamin D supplementation in an area with a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in mothers.

METHODSThis was a non-randomised clinical trial conducted in 2010 in Yazd, Iran. Full-term healthy infants born to vitamin D-deficient mothers (n = 82) were divided into the high-dose regimen (HDR; single oral bolus 30,000 IU vitamin D3, n = 34) and the standard-dose regimen (SDR; 400 IU/day vitamin D3 within two weeks of life, n = 48) groups. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was measured using chemiluminescent immunoassays, and 25OHD level > 20 ng/mL was deemed sufficient.

RESULTSOver 90% of infants in the HDR group attained vitamin D sufficiency within one month, while comparable sufficiency was reached in the SDR group only after four months. At two months, the proportion of infants attaining 25OHD > 30 ng/mL was 93.3% and 27.9% in the HDR and SDR groups, respectively (p = 0.003). None of our infants achieved 25OHD levels > 100 ng/mL.

CONCLUSIONFor infants born to vitamin D-deficient mothers, oral supplementation of 30,000 IU vitamin D3 during the first month of life, followed by a routine recommended dose of 400 IU/day, should be considered. The four-month lag for attaining vitamin D sufficiency in 90% of infants in the SDR group may have clinical implications and should be further investigated.

Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Iran ; Luminescence ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin D ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; drug therapy

INTRODUCTIONThe exact amount of vitamin D required for pregnant women to adequately supply the foetus during pregnancy is still unclear. This randomised trial attempted to determine the optimal dose of vitamin D necessary during pregnancy in order to attain a vitamin D level > 20 ng/mL in neonates.

METHODSA total of 51 healthy, pregnant women in Yazd, Iran, were recruited in 2009. Of these, 34 were randomised to receive either 50,000 IU (Group A) or 100,000 IU (Group B) of vitamin D3 per month from the second trimester of pregnancy. The remaining 17 pregnant women, who formed the third group (Group C) and were found to have vitamin D deficiency, were initially treated with 200,000 IU of vitamin D3, following which the dose was adjusted to 50,000 IU per month. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) in cord blood was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay, and a serum 25(OH)D level < 20 ng/mL was defined as deficiency.

RESULTSAll the pregnant women had a vitamin D level < 30 ng/mL at the beginning of the second trimester. The neonates of 76% of women from Group A had sufficient levels of 25(OH)D. All the neonates born to women in Groups B and C had 25(OH)D > 20 ng/mL. No side effects were observed in our participants during the period of vitamin D supplementation.

CONCLUSIONA vitamin D3dose > 50,000 IU/month is required during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy for vitamin D-deficient pregnant women in order for their neonates to achieve serum 25(OH)D levels > 20 ng/mL. Supplementation with < 50,000 IU/month is insufficient to ensure a vitamin D level > 20 ng/mL in all neonates born to vitamin D-deficient pregnant women.

Adult ; Birth Weight ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; chemistry ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; blood ; drug therapy ; Prevalence ; Vitamin D ; administration & dosage ; blood ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Young Adult