1. Association between serum vitamin D status and severity of liver cirrhosis: implications for therapeutic targeting in Nigerian patients.
- Author
-
Adiri, Winnifred Njideka, Basil, Bruno, Onyia, Chinwe Philomena, Asogwa, Promise, Ugwuanyi, Oluchi Joy, Obienu, Olive, Ijoma, Uchenna Nkemdilim, and Nwokediuko, Slyvester Chuks
- Subjects
- *
VITAMIN D , *CIRRHOSIS of the liver , *DIETARY supplements , *LIVER diseases , *PROGNOSIS - Abstract
Background: Liver cirrhosis is a chronic and progressive liver disease with significant global health implications. Recent evidence suggests an association between serum vitamin D levels and the severity of liver cirrhosis, potentially serving as a therapeutic target. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D status and the severity of liver cirrhosis in a population of Nigerian patients. Methods: This analytical, cross-sectional study involved 201 participants, including 103 with liver cirrhosis and 98 age- and sex-matched controls. Serum vitamin D was measured using ELISA, with deficiency defined as < 20 ng/ml. Cirrhosis severity was assessed using Child-Pugh and MELD scores. Spearman's correlation was used to assess the relationship between vitamin D and severity of liver cirrhosis while ordinal regression analysis assessed its performance as an indicator of the disease severity. Result: Among cirrhotic patients, 36.9% were deficient, 31.1% insufficient, and 32.0% had sufficient vitamin D levels. Serum vitamin D showed strong negative correlations with Child-Pugh and MELD scores (r = -0.696, p < 0.001; r = -0.734, p < 0.001, respectively). Ordinal regression showed that higher vitamin D levels were associated with lower severity scores (Child-Pugh: OR = 0.856, 95% CI: 0.815–0.900, p < 0.001; MELD: OR = 0.875, 95% CI: 0.837–0.915, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Lower serum vitamin D levels correlated with increased liver cirrhosis severity, suggesting its potential as both a prognostic marker and therapeutic target. Further studies should investigate the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in improving cirrhosis outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF