2908 Clinical Factors Associated With Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D has known to play a role in the development and the course of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). However, little is known about the clinical factors associated with vitamin D status in patients with UC. Therefore, we aimed to identify the clinical characteristics associated with vitamin D status and also evaluate the patients' quality of life (QOL) according to vitamin D status in UC patients. METHODS: We enrolled 81 patients with UC and measured serum 25-OH vitamin D levels. We investigated patients' clinical characteristics, disease activity, laboratory findings such as CRP, albumin, and fecal calprotectin. In addition, we evaluated patients'' QOL using IBD-specific questionnaire according to vitamin D status. RESULTS: The median age at vitamin D measurement was 46.4 ± 1.8 years (range: 19-82, M/F: 48/33) and the median vitamin D level was 18.6 ± 0.9 ng/mL. Among 81 patients, 75 patients (92.6%) revealed vitamin D deficiency (<30 ng/mL). Fecal calprotectin level had negative correlation with vitamin D level (r = −0.324, P < 0.028). However, there was no correlation with CRP, albumin, and disease activity according to vitamin D level. In addition, the patients’ QOL was not associated with vitamin D level. The patients with vitamin D deficiency showed higher fecal calprotectin level than patients with normal level (P = 0.038). However, there were no significant differences of CRP, history of steroid use, smoking status, and disease activity according to vitamin D status. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency was pretty common in UC patients. Fecal calprotectin levels were inversely correlated with vitamin D levels. However, there was no association between vitamin D status and disease activity or patients' QOL in UC patients.