Vitamin D deficiency linked to lung disease, poor lung function: Study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDFeb 1 2011

Researchers from Perth’s Telethon Institute have found that vitamin D deficiency can lead to poor lung function and changes in lung growth.

For the study lead researcher Dr. Graeme Zosky a research fellow at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Subiaco, WA, compared two-week-old mice with vitamin D deficiency to normal mice. He noted that mice with a vitamin D deficiency had weaker lungs and that the difference was substantial. Lung volume and lung function were evaluated using a plethysmograph, an instrument used to measure the amount of air in the lung, and via forced oscillation, a technique used to measure the resistance to air flow in the lungs. Microscopic lung tissue samples were also evaluated to assess changes in lung structure. Dr. Zosky explained, “Specifically, we aimed to determine if vitamin D deficiency has an influence on lung growth as indicated by a decrease in lung volume. We also wanted to determine if the deficiency alters the mechanical properties of the lung tissue due to changes in the structure of the lung.”

Results revealed that airway resistance was much higher while lung volume was significantly lower in vitamin D deficient mice compared to control mice. Examinations of specific tissue responses revealed model mice had reduced lung function. Lungs were also smaller in model mice, which Dr. Zosky said could have been caused by the deficiencies of the mother or of the offspring.

“This is the first direct mechanistic evidence showing that vitamin D deficiency alters lung development, which may explain the association between obstructive lung disease and levels of vitamin D,” he explained. Dr. Zosky added, “This finding is an important first step… We need to do more research to see if there is a benefit in giving vitamin D supplements to pregnant women or babies at higher risk of lung disease as a preventative strategy.”

The team believes that this study could mean that there may be newer ways to prevent lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.