title: Vitamin D deficiency parallels inflammation and immune activation, the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low vitamin D concentrations are detected in patients suffering from various clinical conditions which are characterized also by inflammation and immune activation.We investigated whether vitamin D levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are related to markers of immune activation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH) 2 D] and the immune activation markers neopterin and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured in 2015 patients derived from the LUdwigshafen RIsk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study, a cohort study among patients referred for coronary angiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH) 2 D did not differ between patients with CAD [mean } SD:25(OH)D: 17.4 } 9.4 μ g/L; 1,25(OH) 2 D: 34.4 } 13.3 ng/L] and controls [25(OH)D: 18.4 } 11.7 μ g/L; 1,25(OH) 2 D: 35.3 } 12.7ng/L; Welch ’ s t-test: p = n.s.] but CAD patients had higher neopterin (8.6 } 7.4 nmol/L) and hsCRP (9.6 } 19.6 mg/L) concentrations compared to controls (neopterin: 7.5 } 4.8 nmol/L;p = 0.0004; hsCRP: 5.4 } 10.0 mg/L; p < 0.0001). There was an inverse correlation between serum 25(OH)D or 1,25(OH) 2 D concentrations and serum neopterin [Spearman ’ s rank correlation:25(OH)D: r s = – 0.183; 1,25(OH)2D: r s = – 0.230] and hsCRP [25(OH)D: r s = – 0.142; 1,25(OH) 2 D: r s = – 0.130; allp < 0.0001] concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate increased inflammatory processes in patients with low vitamin D status. Further studies should clarify the underlying mechanisms for the observed associations of vitamin D status and inflammatory parameters.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological Chemistry , Biocenter, InnsbruckMedical University, Innsbruck , Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murr
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pilz
authors.forename: Tanja B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Grammer
authors.forename: Marcus E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kleber
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meinitzer
authors.forename: Bernhard O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marz
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C097949:1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D