Serum vitamin D level is related to disease progression in primary biliary cholangitis

A nonskeletal role of vitamin D in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients is not yet clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the serum vitamin D level in patients with PBC and to explore whether serum vitamin D level is related to disease progression.

The serum levels of 25(OH)D₃ were measured in 185 PBC patients and 141 healthy controls. The association with vitamin D levels and disease progression, particularly natural course, was assessed.

Serum vitamin D levels were measured in 185 patients with PBC. The mean level of vitamin D in advanced stage patients was lower than that in early stage patients (9.15 ± 5.33 ng/ml vs. 13.68 ± 6.33 ng/ml, p = .000). In the follow-up patients, the vitamin D level in the taken calcitriol patients showed an upward trend, while the un-taken calcitriol patients was opposite. Besides, vitamin D levels were correlated with the changes of bilirubin, albumin (ALB) and APRI (p<.05). PBC patients with vitamin D deficiency had higher bilirubin levels and lower ALB levels (p<.05). Moreover, there were differences in serum vitamin D levels between taken calcitriol patients and un-taken calcitriol patients (p = .027).

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in PBC patients. The decrease of vitamin D levels may indicate disease progression in PBC. PBC patients need to be regularly measured for serum vitamin D level and take appropriate vitamin D supplementation.