title: Vitamin D Status Is Associated with Intestinal Inflammation as Measured by Fecal Calprotectin in Crohn's Disease in Clinical Remission.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D, as potential immune modulator, has been implicated as an environmental risk factor for Crohn's disease (CD). Vitamin D status may be associated with disease risk, severity, activity, and progression. While associations between circulating 25OHD and markers of disease activity and inflammation in CD have been reported, the results are inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between vitamin D status and markers of disease activity and inflammation in CD.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and nineteen CD patients' active and inactive diseases were enrolled in the cross-sectional study. Subject demographics and clinical data were collected. A serum sample was collected for 25OHD and CRP analysis, and a stool sample was collected for fecal calprotectin (FC) measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean serum 25OHD concentration of the group was 59.8 (24.9) nmol/L. After controlling for confounding variables, serum 25OHD inversely correlated with FC (r = -0.207, P = 0.030), particularly among those in clinical remission (r = -0.242, P = 0.022). The association between FC and 25OHD was further confirmed by linear regression (r = 31.3 %, P < 0.001). FC was lower in patients with 25OHD levels ≥75 nmol/L compared with levels <25 nmol/L [FC: 32.2 (16.3-98.2) vs 100.0 (34.4-213.5) μg/g, P = 0.004]. In the current study, however, 25OHD was not significantly associated with either CRP or CDAI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating 25OHD was significantly inversely associated with intestinal inflammation as determined by FC in CD. Subgroup analysis confirmed the association among those in clinical remission, but not in those with active disease. 25OHD was not associated with disease activity score (CDAI) or systemic inflammation (CRP). Vitamin D intervention studies are warranted to determine whether raising serum 25OHD levels in patients with CD may reduce intestinal inflammation as measured by FC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Trinity Centre for Health Science, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Raftery
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merrick
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.forename: Colm
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Morain
authors.forename: Sinead
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McNamara
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D015897:Comorbidity; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D039841:Leukocyte L1 Antigen Complex; D014807:Vitamin D; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D