Vitamin D3 Serum Level Relationship with Severity and Activity of Lupus Disease
Elham Rajaei
Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Karim Mola *
Department of Internal Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Mehrdad Dargahi-Malamir
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Sahar Hatami
Internal Group, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The importance of vitamin D and its inhibitory effects has been proven in many autoimmune diseases. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D3 and the severity and activity of lupus disease.
Materials and Methods: In a descriptive-analytical study, serum levels of vitamin D3 were measured in 100 patients with lupus and 100 non-infected individuals as a control group with matching age and sex. The deficiency and insufficient level of vitamin D was calculated based on 10 and 30 ng/mL, respectively. The medical history of all patients was checked out, and the disease activity was evaluated based on SLEDAI criteria. Finally, the collected data were analysed by SPSS software.
Result: In the present study 96 women and 4 men with lupus participated. The mean level of vitamin D3 in the lupus patients group was significantly higher than the control group (42.44 ± 16.87 ng/mL vs. 81.69 ± 13.30 ng/mL; p=0.012). Also, 79% of patients with lupus and 87% of patients in the control group had deficiency and insufficient vitamin D levels. There was no significant relationship between vitamin D3 level and severity of disease (SLEDAI) (P = 0.362). But there was a significant relationship between the duration of the disease and serum levels of vitamin D3 (P = 0.045).
Conclusion: Given that vitamin D deficiency in the control group and SLE patients are of common difficulties, but vitamin D levels in patients with SLE did not correlate with the disease activity.
Keywords: Vitamin D level, systemic lupus erythematosus, disease activity (SLEDAI).