title: Skin Involvement and Pulmonary Hypertension Are Associated with Vitamin D Insufficiency in Scleroderma.
abstract: Vitamin D status has been linked to immune system and autoimmune disorders; in fact, low levels of vitamin D are common in many autoimmune disorders. The aims of our study were to assess the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and the possible correlation with clinical parameters in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We recruited 40 patients (38 female and two male) with scleroderma and 40 healthy controls matched for age and gender. Demographic and clinical parameters were recorded and the 25-hydroxivitamin D3 serum levels were measured. Serum 25-hydroxivitamin D3 levels were significantly lower in patients with systemic sclerosis than in the control group. The prevalence of 25-hydroxivitamin D3 insufficiency was 50% in the patients and 22.5% in the control group. A statistically significant association was observed between the insufficiency of 25-hydroxivitamin D3 and skin involvement (p= 0.02) and echocardiography systolic pulmonary artery pressure >35 mmHg (p= 0.02). Our data show that the systemic sclerosis group has significantly lower serum 25-hydroxivitamin D3 concentrations compared to the control group; skin involvement and pulmonary hypertension are associated with vitamin D3 insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. matteritano@unime.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atteritano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. santisi@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. gcorallo@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. elisigna@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Visalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. buemim@unime.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. catalanoa@unime.it.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. alasco@unime.it.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lasco
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. abitto@unime.it.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bitto
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy. fsquadrito@unime.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Squadrito
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000097:blood; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D002762:Cholecalciferol
keywords: immunomodulatory; pulmonary hypertension; skin; systemic sclerosis; vitamin D