RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAMIN D AND DISEASE ACTIVITY IN SOME RHEUMATIC DISEASES (Published)
Vitamin D is recognized as an important immuno-modulatory factor involved in autoimmune rheumatic diseases. The effect of vitamin D on the immune system is an enhancement of innate immunity coupled with multifaceted regulation of adaptive immunity. 1,25(OH)2D3, the biologically active metabolite of Vitamin D, not only regulates bone and calcium metabolism but also exerts immuno-modulation via the nuclear vitamin D receptors (VDR) expressed in antigen-presenting cells and activated T/B cells . In the current study 120 volunteers divided into two groups: patients group and control group. Patients group included 100 rheumatic patients, including 30 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients , 20 SLE patients ,30 osteoarthritis patients(OA) , 10 Behçet’s disease patients , 10 ankylosing spondylitis (AS)patients. The Control group included 20 healthy volunteers. The age of the patients ranged between 16 – 65 years. The disease duration ranged from 1 to 20 years.
The mean value of vitamin D serum level (ng/mL) was found to be low in RA group (mean ± SD)(13.47 ± 8.17) in comparison to control group(26.61 ± 6.44 ). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean value of vitamin D level between the RA active group and inactive group.
There was vitamin D deficiency in SLE patients (19.32 ±10.67), the difference in the mean value of vitamin D serum level between the SLE active group and inactive group was found to be statistically insignificant. The difference in the mean value of vitamin D serum level between the OA group (22.95 ±9.30) and control group(26.61 ± 6.44 ) was found to be statistically insignificant, as p-value of 0.178.In the O.A. group, the difference in the mean value of vitamin D serum level between the O.A. active group and inactive group was found to be statistically insignificant. The vitamin D serum levels were lower in the AS group (17.81 ±8.11) than the control group. The difference in the mean value of vitamin D level between the A.S. group and control group was found to be statistically significant. As regard the comparison of vitamin D serum level between the active A.S. group and the inactive A.S. group, the difference was found to be statistically insignificant, as p-value of 0.17. The mean value of vitamin D level in the Behçet’s disease group was significantly lower (17.64 ±8.79) in comparison to its level in the control group.There was no statistical significance difference in the mean value of vitamin D serum level in the active and the inactive Behcet disease groups.
Keywords: Vitamin D, autoimmune diseases, immune system, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus
