Correlation of Vitamin D3 Levels with Disease Severity in Psoriasis Patients - A Case-Control Study.

Abstract

Vitamin D is involved in the activation of innate and adaptive immunity. In the epidermis, vitamin D is involved in the differentiation and maturation of keratinocytes. A fall in the vitamin D levels can activate auto-immunity. This study was aimed at correlating the serum vitamin D level of psoriasis patients with disease severity. This case-control study included 50 newly diagnosed cases of psoriasis (group A) and 50 controls (group B). Serum vitamin D levels were assessed in both groups. The levels were correlated with the duration of disease, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) level. Psoriasis patients had significantly lower vitamin D levels than controls. There was a significant negative correlation between serum vitamin D level and disease duration, PASI score, and ESR level (p-value <0.001). Rising age and female gender were also associated with significantly lower vitamin D. We found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in psoriatic patients. The level is strongly associated with every aspect of disease severity. Its level can predict the course of disease and prognosis.