title: Serum vitamin D and colonic vitamin D receptor in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine serum vitamin D levels and colonic vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and non-IBD patients and correlate these with histopathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Puerto Rican IBD (n = 10) and non-IBD (n = 10) patients ≥ 21 years old scheduled for colonoscopy were recruited. Each patient completed a questionnaire and provided a serum sample and a colonic biopsy of normal-appearing mucosa. For IBD patients, an additional biopsy was collected from visually diseased mucosa. Serum vitamin D levels were measured by ultra-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Hematoxylin and eosin stained tissue sections from colonic biopsies were classified histologically as normal or colitis (active/inactive), and scored for the degree of inflammation present (0-3, inactive/absent to severe). Tissue sections from colonic biopsies were also stained by immunohistochemistry for VDR, for which representative diagnostic areas were photographed and scored for staining intensity using a 4-point scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IBD cohort was significantly younger (40.40 ± 5.27, P < 0.05) than the non-IBD cohort (56.70 ± 1.64) with a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (40% vs 20%, respectively) and insufficiency (70% vs 50%, respectively). Histologic inflammation was significantly higher in visually diseased mucosa from IBD patients (1.95 ± 0.25) than in normal-appearing mucosa from control patients (0.25 ± 0.08, P < 0.01) and from IBD patients (0.65 ± 0.36, P < 0.05) and correlated inversely with VDR expression in visually diseased colonic tissue from IBD patients (r = -0.44, P < 0.05) and from IBD patients with Crohn's disease (r = -0.69, P < 0.05), but not in normal-appearing colonic tissue from control patients or IBD patients. Control and IBD patient serum vitamin D levels correlated positively with VDR expression in normal colon from control and IBD patients (r = 0.38, P < 0.05) and with patient age (r = 0.54, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Levels of serum vitamin D correlate positively with colonic VDR expression in visually normal mucosa whereas inflammation correlates negatively with colonic VDR expression in visually diseased mucosa in Puerto Rican patients.
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Yamilka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abreu-Delgado
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Raymond A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Isidro
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Esther A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Myrella L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Angel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Isidro
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Carmen I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: González-Keelan
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Medero
authors.affiliation: Yamilka Abreu-Delgado, Esther A Torres, Alexandra González, Priscilla Medero, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus-School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00935, United States.
authors.forename: Caroline B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Appleyard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000032:analysis*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; C579457:VDR protein, human; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Colitis; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Vitamin D; Vitamin D receptor