Association of Vitamin D Status and Activity of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Objective – To evaluate a vitamin D [25-hydroxyvitamin D-25(OH)D] status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and its association with the activity of arthritis.

Materials and Methods – Retrospective-prospective study was conducted at the Clinic for Children’s Diseases, University Clinical Center Tuzla in the period from January 2018 to January 2020. The medical records of 51 children with JIA and 48 healthy children were analyzed.

Results – The median serum levels of 25(OH)D in children with JIA were 35.4 nmol/L and 62.3 nmol/L in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.036). 11 of 51 children with JIA and 8 of 48 in the control group had values 25(OH)D <25nmol/L, while 8 of 51 children with JIA and 14 of 48 children in the control group had the adequate values of 25(OH)D. 40 of 51 children (median JADAS10 score 6.24) had active arthritis; 6 of them with insufficiency and 3 with deficiency of 25(OH)D had moderate disease activity at the time of evaluation. The values of 25(OH)D were negatively correlated with arthritis activity (r=-0.36, P=0.02), but no significant correlation between arthritis duration and 25(OH)D levels was found. There was significant difference between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and the form of arthritis (P<0.0001).

Conclusions – Our findings have shown the correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and arthritis activity, however, prospective comprehensive studies are needed to further investigate the relationship between vitamin D and disease activity in JIA.