Low serum levels of vitamin D in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. Issue 4 (19th September 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Azali, Payam; Barbasso Helmers, Sevim; Kockum, Ingrid; Olsson, Tomas; Alfredsson, Lars; Charles, Peter J; Piehl Aulin, Karin; Lundberg, Ingrid E
• Is Part Of: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. Volume 72:Issue 4(2013)
• Page Start: 512
• Page End: 516
• Publication Date: 2012-09-19
• Subjects: Polymyositis -- Dermatomyositis -- Inflammation; Rheumatism -- Periodicals; 616.723005
• DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2012-201849
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-4967

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: To evaluate serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) (polymyositis (PM), dermatomyosistis (DM), inclusion body myositis (IBM) and juvenile DM (JDM)) and to compare these with healthy controls. Methods: Serum samples from 149 patients with IIM and 290 healthy controls matched for gender and the month of blood sampling were analysed for 25(OH) vitamin D. ORs for vitamin D classes with 95% CI were calculated using a matched (conditional) logistic regression model. Groups were compared by the Kruskal–Wallis test and p values <0.05 were considered significant. Results: Patients with IIM had significantly lower serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D than healthy controls (median 39 (10–168) nmol/l vs 68 (19–197) nmol/l; p=0.0001). There was no significant difference in vitamin D levels between the myositis subgroups. When vitamin D levels were subclassified into deficient (<50 nmol/l), insufficient (50–74 nmol/l) and normal (≥75 nmol/l), most of the patients with PM (68%), DM (65%) and IBM (53%) had deficient levels compared with only 60 (21%) healthy individuals. In patients with IIM the OR for deficient versus normal was 17.7 (95% CI 8.1 to 38.6) and the OR for insufficient versus normal was 2.4 (95% CI 1.2 to 4.7). Conclusions: Low serum levels of vitamin D were found in most patients with IIM and may confer a risk factor for developing adult myositis, similar to some other autoimmune diseases.