Open Access Rheumatology: Research and Reviews (Sep 2023)
Vitamin D Levels Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Sudanese Patients: Prevalence and Correlation to Disease Activity – A Bicentric Study
Abstract
Mohamed Elfaith Mustafa Mohamed,1,2 Ziryab Imad Taha,1,3– 5 Salih Boushra Hamza,2,5 Yassin A Abdalla,2,5 Sufian K Noor,6 Jimmy William5,7 1Rheumatology Speciality Department, Sudan Medical Specialization Board, Khartoum, Sudan; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Khartoum, Sudan; 3Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical and Cancer Research Institute (MCRI), Nyala, Sudan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bahri, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum, Sudan; 5Rheumatology Department, Ziryab Research Group, Khartoum, Sudan; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Nile Valley University, Faculty of Medicine, Atbara, Sudan; 7General Internal Medicine Department, Sligo University Hospital, Sligo, IrelandCorrespondence: Jimmy William, Sligo University Hospital, The Mall, Rathquarter, Sligo, F91 H684, Ireland, Tel +353 851173213, Email [email protected]: To evaluate vitamin D levels among adult Sudanese RA patients and identify its correlation with RA disease activity.Patients and Methods: A bicentric cross-sectional analytical hospital-based study was performed in two Khartoum State Hospitals between October 2019 and January 2020, enrolling 90 Sudanese patients with RA. Serum vitamin D levels were measured with a standard reference level of 30ng/mL– 100ng/mL. A detailed interview-based questionnaire was used to collect the patient’s information, clinical data and lab results—disease activity was assessed via the DAS-28 score. The data was then analyzed using SPSS v-24.Results: Vitamin D levels were low in 79 candidates (87.8%), 53 of which (67.1%) showed moderate insufficiency (10– 30ng/mL), and 26 candidates (32.9%) had severe deficiency (less than 10 ng/mL). Regarding the disease activity, 57 participants (63.3%) had moderate disease activity (DAS-28=3.2– 5.1), and 22 participants (24.4%) had high disease activity (DAS-28 > 5.1). A significant negative correlation was reported between high DAS-28 scores and low vitamin D levels with p-value = < 0.001 (95% CI: − 0.8591 to 0.0015) and r = − 0.44.Conclusion: Most adult Sudanese rheumatoid arthritis patients showed low vitamin D levels (87.8%), which was also significantly correlated with increased disease activity (P-value < 0.05). Moreover, the prevalence of low vitamin D levels was significantly higher than in numerous countries worldwide.Keywords: vitamin D, rheumatoid arthritis, DAS-28 score, Sudan
