SERUM 25‐HYDROXY D3 LEVELS IN NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE

Background It has become the most common liver disease in the world. N onalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a wide range of disorders from a simple steatosis to fibrosis/cirrhosis. Although some studies show association between vitamin D and NAFLD; studies showing the association in different severity of NAFLD are limited. Aim The aim of this study to evaluate serum 25‐hydroxy vitamin D 3 levels in different severity of NAFLD. Materials and Methods Fifty three morbidly obese subjects (BMI ≥40 kg/m 2 ) were included into the study. NAFLD activity scores (NAS) were calculated according to liver biopsies and subjects were divided into 3 group; mild NAFLD (n =15, NAS score: ≤2), moderate NAFLD (n =23, NAS score: 3–4), severe NAFLD (n =15, NAS score: ≥5). Blood samples were collected. Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze the serum vitamin D levels. Results Serum 25‐Hydroxy vitamin D 3 levels were significantly lower in moderate and severe NAFLD groups (25.9 ± 9.10 ng/ml and 21.9 ± 7.14 ng/ml, respectively) than the mild NAFLD group (34.5 ± 10.19 ng/ml). Total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels were lower in severe NAFLD group (165.0 ± 38.64 mg/dl and 39.8 ±8.33 mg/dl). Furthermore, serum folic acid levels were significantly lower in moderate and severe NAFLD groups (13.8 ± 4.00 nmol/L and 14.9 ± 4.38 nmol/L, respectively) than mild NAFLD group (17.9 ± 3.98 nmol/L). Serum 25‐ Hydroxy D 3 levels and NAS were not significantly different between gender groups. Serum vitamin D levels showed an inverse correlation with NAS (r = −0.332, p < 0.05). NAS levels did not show any significant difference between gender groups. Conclusion Serum 25‐Hydroxy vitamin D 3 levels may differ in different severity of NAFLD.