RESEARCH - Vitamin D status in RA and UIA compared with controls

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Rheumatol Int. 2011 Jan 19.

The status of serum vitamin D in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis compared with controls.

Heidari B, Hajian-Tilaki K, Heidari P.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Rouhani

Hospital, Babol University of Medical Science, Babol Iran R, Babol,

Iran,

Abstract

Inadequate vitamin D may be involved in the pathogenesis and or

progression of several disorders, including connective tissue

diseases. To determine the status of vitamin D in different stages of

inflammatory arthritis, the levels of vitamin D in established

rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis

(UIA) were compared with controls. Patients with RA and UIA entered

the study.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was measured by ELISA method, and

concentrations less than 20 ng/ml were considered as deficient levels.

In statistical analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for

comparing differences between groups and logistic regression analysis

with calculation of adjusted odds ratio (OR) was used to determine the

association between serum 25-OHD deficiency and disease condition.

A total of 108 RA, 39 UIA, and 239 controls were studied. There were

no significant differences in mean serum 25-OHD level and frequency of

serum 25-OHD deficiency between RA and controls (37 ± 37.7 vs. 33.2 ±

28.6 ng/ml, P = 0.96). But the mean serum 25-OHD level in UIA was

significantly lower than in the controls (25.1 ± 23.9 vs. 33.2 ± 28.6

ng ml, P = 0.04).

A significant positive association was observed between serum 25-OHD

deficiency and UIA (56.4% vs. 35.5%, OR = 2.34, 95% CI, 1.18-4.65, P =

0.021) which remained significant after adjustment for sex and age

(adjusted OR = 2.24, 95% CI, 1.01-4.55, P = 0.026). Whereas the

association between serum 25-OHD deficiency and RA did not reach

statistical significance (40.7% vs. 35.5%, OR = 1.24, 95% CI,

0.78-1.99).

These findings indicate higher serum vitamin D deficiency in patients

with ongoing arthritis rather than established arthritis. Respecting

to deleterious effects of vitamin D deficiency on immune system and

progressive nature of UIA, a significant proportion of high risk UIA

can be recognized by serum 25-OHD determination.

PMID: 21246367

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21246367

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