S105 Does vitamin D deficiency increase risk of acute lung injury post oesophagectomy

Introduction Vitamin D has profound effects on the immune system and its deficiency has been implicated in increased risk of diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. We have shown vitamin D levels to be lower in patients with Acute Lung Injury than in healthy or at risk controls. We hypothesised that vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for developing Acute Lung Injury (ALI) following transthoracic oesophagectomy. Methods 25-OH vitamin D (tandem mass spectrometry) and 1.25-OH vitamin D (ELISA) were measured in plasma samples taken from patients prior to oesophagectomy. IL-6, RAGE and HMGB-1 were measured by ELISA. Extravascular Lung Water (EVLW) measurements were recorded using a PiCCO catheter. Results All patients undergoing oesophagectomy had insufficient levels of 25-OH vitamin D ( 3 Discussion These results suggest that very low 25 vitamin D levels in oesophagectomy patients are associated with an elevated post-operative systemic inflammatory response, increased alveolar epithelial dysfunction and an increased risk of developing lung injury. These data support the rationale for clinical trials of vitamin D replacement as a preventative therapy for acute lung injury.