Relationship between vitamin D3 level and rheumatoid arthritis patients attending Rizgary Teaching Hospital in Erbil city

Abstract

Background and objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. Vitamin D3 plays an important role in bone metabolism and may also have immunomodulatory effects. This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D3 deficiency in patients with rheumatoid arthritis as compared to healthy controls and to analyze the association between vitamin D3 with disease activity. Methods: This case-control study included 50 consecutive rheumatoid arthritis patients, who fulfilled EULAR-ACR-2010 and ACR 1987 criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis, and 50 age matched controls. Their mean age and standard deviation (SD) was 46.42±10.86 years. They were not on vitamin D3 supplements. They were selected from the Rheumatology and Medical Rehabilitation Department of Rizgary Teaching Hospital in Erbil City. The activity of disease was assessed by disease activity score and clinical disease activity index parameters. The vitamin D3 was measured for all patients and controls. Results: A total of 100 participants were enrolled in the study. The vast majority of them were female, and 70% of cases had deficient vitamin D3 levels, while 46% of control group suffered from vitamin D3 deficiency (P <0.05). There was a non-significant statistical relationship between vitamin D3 levels and duration of disease, disease activity score and clinical disease activity index. Conclusion: Level of vitamin D3 was low among cases compared to controls and it was statistically significant. Vitamin D3 was not correlated with the disease activity.