title: May osteoarticular infections be influenced by vitamin D status? An observational study on selected patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a high number of health outcomes, and its role on the immune system has been deeply investigated in recent years, although poor data are still available on vitamin D status in orthopedic infections including those of prosthetic implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We focused on preoperative values of 25(OH)D in selected groups of patients with septic (Group A) or aseptic (Group B) prosthetic loosening, infective bone disease such as septic arthritis and osteomyelitis (Group C) and other orthopedic pathologies (Group D) to evaluate differences in the vitamin D status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was recorded among the study population (16.5 ± 5.4 ng/mL, mean ± SD). Interestingly, all patients with an infection presented a higher 25(OH)D concentration (17.7 ± 5.3 ng/mL) in respect to uninfected ones (15.1 ± 5.6 ng/mL). Significantly higher levels of 25(OH)D were observed in patients with prosthetic joint infection (18.5 ± 6.5 ng/mL), when compared with those presenting an aseptic loosening (13.6 ± 9.4 ng/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deficiency in vitamin D levels have been found in orthopaedic patients. Prosthetic joint infections seems to be associated to higher values of vitamin D in respect to other bone infections or to other orthopaedic conditions requiring surgery. More studies are needed to improve the knowledge on vitamin D status in these patients and to better clarify the role of vitamin D in relation to osteoarticular infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology, IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute, Via R. Galeazzi 4, 20161, Milan, Italy. valentina.signori@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Signori
authors.affiliation: Center for Reconstructive Surgery of Osteoarticular Infections (C.R.I.O.), IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute, 20161, Milan, Italy. carlo.romano@grupposandonato.it.
authors.forename: Carlo L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Romanò
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy. devecchi.elena@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Vecchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy. roberto.mattina@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mattina
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology, IRCCS Galeazzi Orthopedic Institute, Via R. Galeazzi 4, 20161, Milan, Italy. lorenzo.drago@unimi.it.|Department of Biomedical Science for Health, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy. lorenzo.drago@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Drago
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D