Serum Vitamin D Concentration and Potential Risk Factors for its Deficiency in HIV Positive Individuals

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected individuals are prone to malnutrition, and deficiencies of some minerals and vitamins. The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of vitamin D deficiency and determine the possible risk factors associated with this problem in HIV-infected individuals. This cross-sectional study was performed on 98 adult patients referred to the Emam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran, Iran. The patients' serum vitamin D concentration was determined using radioimmunoassay method. The possible correlations between demographic and clinical data with the level of vitamin D were evaluated. Vitamin D levels less than 35 nmol/l were considered as deficient in this study. Eighty-five (86.7%) of the patients had serum vitamin D deficiency (concentrations less than 35 nmol/l) in this study. Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) was present in 54 (55.1%) of the patients. Only daily intake of vitamin D (r = 0.304, p = 0.002), duration of sun exposure (r = 0.268, p = 0.009), the level of PTH (r = -0.459, p < 0.001), daily intake of calcium (r = 0.239, p = 0.018) and GFR of more than 90 ml/min (OR = 1.208, CI 95% = 1.080-1.350, p = 0.033) had a correlation with serum vitamin D concentration. Being female (OR = 7.224, CI 95% = 3.640-14.335, p < 0.001), unemployed (OR = 1.627, CI 95%= 1.209-2.190, p < 0.001) and infected with HCV (OR = 1.811, CI 95% = 1.331-2.465, p < 0.001) were related to the severe serum vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem in Iranian HIV-infected patients and with concern of this vitamin's important role in health issues, early evaluation of its status and providing appropriate nutritional support seems to be important.

Dairy calcium intake and lifestyle risk factors for bone loss in hiv-infected and uninfected mediterranean subjects

“…Vitamin D deficiency was found in HIV/HCV co-infected patients [51]. Moreover, higher vitamin D levels were independently associated with a rapid virological response in patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C [52].…”

Determination of serum level of Vitamin D in hospitalized patients with respiratory infections in infectious disease wards of Tabriz

“…In a recent study that was conducted on HIV positive patients in Iran, it was found out that 86.7% of patients were suffering from Vit-D deficiency. In that research, the serum Vit-D level was associated with factors such as the intake of Vit-D, duration of exposure to sunlight, PTH level, and daily consumption of calcium (38). Various studies have reported the high level of Vit-D deficiency in the Iranian society.…”

Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and its Relation with Bone Mineral Density in HIV/AIDS Patients

“…Yaşanılan enleme, mevsime ve deri pigmentasyonu özelliklerine göre D vitamini düzeyi değişkenlik göstermektedir (8). Ayrıca kadın cinsiyet, işsizlik, sigara kullanımı, hepatit C koenfeksiyonu da bu hasta grubunda ek risk faktörleri olarak bulunmuştur (15,16). Vitamin D düzeyini değerlendirmede, sirkülasyondaki major form olması ve yarılanma ömrünün 2-3 hafta olması nedeniyle serum 25(OH)D en uygun parametredir.…”

“…Vitamin D düzeyini değerlendirmede, sirkülasyondaki major form olması ve yarılanma ömrünün 2-3 hafta olması nedeniyle serum 25(OH)D en uygun parametredir. İran'da yapılan bir çalışmada da %86,7 hastada D vitamini <35nmol/L bulunmuştur (15). Üzerinde net bir görüş birliği olmamakla beraber 50 nmol/L'nin altındaki değerler D vitamini eksikliğini işaret eder.…”