ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Clinical Nutrition
Vitamin D Levels and Platelet Status in Healthy Children and Adolescent
Provisionally accepted
Pedro Antonio Souza De Almeida
Polyana Romano Oliosa
Leticia Batista de Azevedo
JOSE GERALDO MILL
Míriam miriam.rodrigues@ufes.br Barbosa*- Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo Centro de Ciencias da Saude, Vitoria, Brazil
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Background: Recent studies have expanded our understanding of the functions of vitamin D beyond bone health and calcium homeostasis. Limited data exists on the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in Brazil, particularly in children, but studies have shown deficiencies in a significant percentage of the population. Some studies have suggested a potential interaction between vitamin D and platelets, as they share common metabolic pathways, and alterations in platelet levels have been observed in individuals with vitamin D insufficiency. Objective: This study aimed to verify if serum levels of 25(OH)D, platelet count, and mean platelet volume (MPV), are associated in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years old. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study in children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years (first sentence) Serra, Espírito Santo, a metropolitan city in Southeast Brazil. In total, 659 children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years old and registered in a social project called "Estação do Conhecimento" in Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Socioeconomic data were collected in the first interview using a semi-structured questionnaire. Blood was collected after 12 hours of fasting, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were assessed using a chemiluminescence method, blood cells were analyzed using the counting method by impedance, and the cell analysis were performed by continuous flow cytometry. Results: Vitamin D insufficiency was highly prevalent among children and adolescents. Vitamin D levels and platelets were positively correlated and independently associated. Surprisingly, insufficient and deficient vitamin D were associated with higher mean platelet volume. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that vitamin D's influence on platelet parameters is likely indirect, possibly mediated by its role in modulating low-grade inflammation.
Keywords: Vitamin D, Blood Platelets, Child, adolescents, cardiovascular disease
Received: 08 Aug 2025; Accepted: 28 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Souza De Almeida, Romano Oliosa, Batista de Azevedo, MILL and Barbosa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Míriam miriam.rodrigues@ufes.br Barbosa, miriam.rodrigues@ufes.br
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