# Exploring the Association Between Vitamin D and IL-10 in Allergic Parthenium Contact Dermatitis Patients

**Authors:** Alphienes Stanley Xavier, Sandhiya Selvarajan, Saibal Das, Sadishkumar Kamalanathan

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.85515 · Cureus · 2025-06-07

## TL;DR

This study found that people with allergic parthenium dermatitis have lower vitamin D and IL-10 levels, which are linked to worse quality of life and could be used as biomarkers for treatment.

## Contribution

The study establishes a novel association between vitamin D deficiency and reduced IL-10 levels in allergic parthenium dermatitis patients.

## Key findings

- Patients with parthenium dermatitis had significantly lower IL-10 levels and higher vitamin D deficiency compared to healthy controls.
- A positive correlation was found between vitamin D and IL-10 levels in allergic dermatitis patients.
- Lower vitamin D and IL-10 levels were associated with higher Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores.

## Abstract

Introduction

The imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators was suggested to be a contributory factor to the manifestations of allergic parthenium dermatitis. Inadequate circulating vitamin D and IL-10 levels can significantly influence the course of this allergic dermatitis.

Objective

The objective was to study the association between circulating IL-10 levels and vitamin D status in patients with parthenium dermatitis.

Materials and methods

Patients attending the dermatitis clinic were screened for eligibility, and 88 individuals were recruited. A total of 101 unrelated healthy volunteers were included as controls. Circulating IL-10 cytokine and vitamin D levels were determined in both groups and compared.

Results

A higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (79.5% vs. 59.4%, P = 0.000315) and lower IL-10 levels (6.84 vs. 9.04 pg/ml, P < 0.0001) were observed in the patient group compared to healthy controls. The vitamin D-deficient patients were also found to have significantly lower IL-10 levels. A significant positive correlation between vitamin D and IL-10 levels was observed among individuals with allergic dermatitis. Lower vitamin D and IL-10 levels were associated with higher Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores.

Conclusion

Lower circulating vitamin D and IL-10 levels, observed in patients with parthenium dermatitis, significantly impacted their quality of life. Assessing plasma IL-10 levels could be a potential biomarker for evaluating disease severity and treatment efficacy. Correcting vitamin D deficiency may improve IL-10 levels and enhance treatment outcomes.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** IL10 (interleukin 10)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** IL10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 3586] {aka CSIF, GVHDS, IL-10, IL10A, TGIF}
- **Diseases:** dermatitis (MESH:D003872), Contact Dermatitis (MESH:D003877), allergic dermatitis (MESH:D017449), vitamin D deficiency (MESH:D014808), inflammatory (MESH:D007249)
- **Chemicals:** Parthenium (-), Vitamin D (MESH:D014807)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

29 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12234820/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12234820