title: Vitamin D status and distribution in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease versus healthy controls.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D has a potential to modulate inflammatory response against noxious particles in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The present study was conducted to determine the status of serum vitamin D in COPD versus healthy group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients presented to the outpatient pulmonary clinic of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, Babol Iran. Diagnosis of COPD was confirmed based on airflow limitation defined as FEV1/FVC ratio <70% and FEV1< 80% of predicted. All eligible patients aged ≥ 40 years old entered the study. Pulmonary infection, tuberculosis, pleural effusion, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and embolism, restrictive airway disease, conditions leading changes in vitamin D metabolism and absorption were excluded. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) was determined by electrocheminluminescence method and levels <20, 20-29, and ≥30ng/ml were considered as deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency. In statistical analysis, the frequency of serum 25-OHD deficiency and insufficiency in patients were compared regarding age of ≤ 50 or >50 years old. All patients were males and age and sex-matched controls were selected among healthy subjects accompanied COPD patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety patients and 100 controls with respective mean (±SD) age of 64.8±11.7 and 62.6±11.7 years old (P=0.19) were studied. Compared with control, proportions of serum 25-OHD deficiency and insufficiency in patients >50 years were higher and deficiency was lower (61.5% vs 87.5%, P=0.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that a significant proportion of young COPD patients have insufficient serum 25-OHD. Regarding a positive relationship between 25-OHD and FEV1 in COPD, these findings highlight serum 25-OHD assessment in COPD for recognizing high risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.affiliation: Mobility Impairment Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Javadian
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dankob
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Firouzjahi
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Deficiency; Insufficiency; Vitamin D