Vitamin D Deficiency as a Possible Cause of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents up to 15 Years Old: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate vitamin D ((25OH)D levels) deficiency as a possible cause in the development of DT1 in children and adolescents aged 0-15. METHODS: We searched PubMed/ Medline, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library to identify potentially eligible articles that examine whether low serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with subsequent development of DT1. All type of research designs, including randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-control and cross-sectional studies with subjects aged ≤15 years old were consider for inclusion. RESULTS: Seven original studies met the entry criteria. Most of these studies found up to 50% lower levels of vitamin D in children with DT1 compared to control group and a significant positive association between vitamin D levels and of the risk of developing DT1. Results of quality assessment demonstrated moderate to high quality of all the studies included. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency may be a possible cause in the development of DT1 in the early years of life and particularly in children with genetic predisposition, whilst the deficiency of vitamin D is a very common occurrence in patients with DT1. Further long-term studies on children are required to determine the role of vitamin D on DT1.