title: The association between serum levels of vitamin D and recurrent urinary tract infections in premenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether there is any association between serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH) vitamin D) and the recurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among premenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  During a period of 3 years, 93 premenopausal women with a medical history of recurrent UTIs were enrolled from the Infectious Diseases Unit. Cases with recurrent UTIs were compared to 93 age-matched (±5 years) women with no history of recurrent UTI (control group), in terms of serum 25(OH) vitamin D and different risk factors for recurrent UTI. Recurrent UTI was defined as three or more episodes of UTI over a 12-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of women with recurrent UTIs was 43.8±9 years and of controls was 39±10 years (p=0.839). The mean serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D among women with recurrent UTIs were significantly lower than those of controls (9.8 ng/ml±4 vs. 23 ng/ml±6; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a serum 25(OH) vitamin D level of <15 ng/ml (odds ratio 4.00, 95% confidence interval 3.40-4.62; p=0.001) was associated with recurrent UTIs in premenopausal women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this retrospective study, we found that recurrent UTIs in premenopausal women are associated with vitamin D deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, EMMS Nazareth, The Nazareth Hospital, Nazareth, Israel; Infectious Diseases Unit, EMMS Nazareth, The Nazareth Hospital, Nazareth, Israel; Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel. Electronic address: w.nseir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nseir
authors.forename: Muhamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: Hytam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemarny
authors.forename: Julnar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mograbi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D017697:Premenopause; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Premenopausal women; Recurrent urinary tract infections; Vitamin D