Vitamin D serum level in vitiligo patients: A case-control study from Iran

Abstract

Background: Generalized vitiligo is characterized by autoimmunedestruction of melanocytes, which results in patches of thedepigmented skin and the overlying hair. Vitamin D is an essentialhormone synthesized in the skin and is responsible for skinpigmentation. Low vitamin D levels have been noted in patientswith a variety of autoimmune diseases. A recent study showedthat low vitamin D levels may be associated with vitiligo. Theaim of this study was to compare 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels in Iranian patients with vitiligo with normal controls.Method: In this case-control study, we studied 30 newly diagnosedpatients with vitiligo and 30 healthy controls through a casecontrol design. Two groups were matched for gender, age, andthe season in which the serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin Dwere measured. The serum levels were categorized as sufficient,insufficient and deficient.Result: The mean serum level of vitamin D was 10.24±1.27 ng/mL in patients compared to 18.31±7.39 ng/mL in the controlgroup. Male patients had lower levels of vitamin D compared tocontrols (7.25 ng/mL vs. 13.31ng/mL, P=0.03), while no significantdifference was observed between females and controls (14.12 ng/mL vs. 16.25 ng/mL, P=0.51).Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that there may be anassociation between low levels of Vitamin D3 and vitiligo in men.