P554 Does vitamin D level correlates with disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients?
SinaDr., M.(1);Pemaj, X.(1);Akshija, I.(2);Hysa, A.(1);Koçollari, A.(1);Prifti, S.(1);
(1)University Hospital Center Mother Theresa, Internal Medicine/ Gastroenterology, Tirana, Albania;(2)University Hospital Center Mother Theresa, Statistics, Tirana, Albania
Background
Vitamin D exerts an important role in the immune regulation. Several studies from the Western countries showed low level of vitamin D among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. They also showed that vitamin D may have an influence on disease activity. Data from the Eastern Europe are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate vitamin D level and the association between vitamin D and disease activity in biologic naïve patients with IBD.
Methods
This is a prospective study carried out at a tertiary hospital center in Albania from 2016-2020 including consecutive biologics–naïve IBD patients. Demographic and clinical data [age, gender, body mass index (BMI), disease location, extent, activity and duration) were collected. All patients underwent ileocolonoscopy. Vitamin D level and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured within 2 weeks of their ileocolonoscopy. Montreal classification was used to evaluate the disease extent, while total Mayo score and Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) were used to assess disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) respectively. Vitamin D levels were considered as: normal >30 ng/ml; insufficient 10-30 ng/ml; deficient <10ng/ml.
Results
A total of 96 patients were included in this study; mean age was 43.5±15.8 years, 52% females; 85.4% UC, mean disease duration 6.5±5 years. Vitamin D levels ranged from 3-58 ng/mL, with a mean level of 18 ±9.9 ng/ml (CD:17.5±12.4 ng/mL, UC:18.1±9.5, p=0.826). 63/96 patients (66%) had vitamin D deficiency (73.2% UC and 21.4% CD, p<0.001), while 21/96 (22%) had vitamin D insufficiency. There was no significant difference in vitamin D insufficiency and IBD type (p>0.05), although the insufficiency was found higher among CD that UC patients [7/14 (50%) vs 14/82 (17%) respectively]. No statistically significant association was found between vitamin D level and age, gender, BMI, disease type, activity, location, extent and duration. There was a negative correlation between CRP and vitamin D level (r = −0.178, p=0.054).
Conclusion
Low vitamin D levels are common in biologic-naïve patients with IBD. These levels are not associated with clinical data such as disease type, extent, duration or severity in IBD patients, but it seems that vitamin D influences the presence of inflammation in these patients.