Evaluation of the Relationship Between Vitamin D Levels and Related Serum Markers as Well as Disease Activity in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-sectional Study in Western Iran
Abstract Introduction: Many studies have reported the role of vitamin D in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) which is related to several serum autoantibodies such as RF and Anti CCP. It also has been shown that vitamin D deficiency affect the DAS28 and VAS score inversely. Therefore, we aim to assess the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and RA-related autoantibodies including Anti CCP and RF levels and also evaluate the association between these parameters and the severity of disease.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, RA patients over 16 years of age were enrolled. The severity of diseases was assessed via the DAS28 scoring system. Serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D were determined by the ELISA method, along with other rheumatoid related laboratory evaluations including Anti CCP, RF and CRPResults: A total of 100 patients with a mean age of 45.27± 14.14 were included and evaluated; of them, 75% were female and 77% lived in the city. Most of the patients (66%) had moderate DAS28 levels; however, no substantial relationship was observed between DAS28 and vitamin D levels. A significant positive relation between serum 25(OH)D level and disease duration, as well as the level of education, was observed. There was also no significant correlation between RA-related autoantibodies and inflammatory serum marker with 25(OH)D.Conclusion: Due to vitamin deficiency in the majority of cases (73%) and the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and the duration of disease, it can be concluded that vitamin D levels should be checked in those patients.