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The association between serological and dietary vitamin D levels and hepatitis C‐related liver disease risk differs in African American and white males
Author(s) -
White D. L.,
TavakoliTabasi S.,
Kanwal F.,
Ramsey D. J.,
Hashmi A.,
Kuzniarek J.,
Patel P.,
Francis J.,
ElSerag H. B.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
alimentary pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.308
H-Index - 177
eISSN - 1365-2036
pISSN - 0269-2813
DOI - 10.1111/apt.12341
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , vitamin d and neurology , national health and nutrition examination survey , cohort , odds ratio , liver disease , hepatitis c , vitamin , fibrosis , population , environmental health
Summary Background Vitamin D may affect the severity of HCV ‐related liver disease. Aim To examine the association between serum vitamin D levels and advanced liver disease in a multiethnic US cohort of HCV patients, and account for dietary and supplemental intake. Methods We measured serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels and used Fibro SURE ‐ActiTest to assess hepatic pathology in a cohort of HCV ‐infected male veterans. We estimated and adjusted for daily intake of vitamin D from diet using a Dietary History Questionnaire, and dispensed prescriptions prior to study enrolment. We used race‐stratified logistic regression analyses to evaluate the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and risk of advanced fibrosis (F3/F4–F4) and advanced inflammation (A2/A3–A3). Results A total of 163 African American (AA) and 126 White non‐Hispanics were studied. Overall, ~44% of AAs and 15% of Whites were vitamin D deficient (<12 ng/mL) or insufficient (12–19 ng/mL); 4% of AAs and 9% of White patients had an elevated level (>50 ng/mL). Among AAs, patients with elevated serum vitamin D levels had significantly higher odds of advanced fibrosis (OR = 12.91, P = 0.03) than those with normal levels. In contrast, AAs with insufficient or deficient levels had > two‐fold excess risk of advanced inflammation ( P = 0.06). Among White males there was no association between vitamin D levels and advanced fibrosis (F3/F4–F4) or inflammation (A2/A3–A3) risk. Conclusions We observed potential differences in the association between vitamin D levels and degree of HCV ‐related hepatic fibrosis between White and African American males. Additional research is necessary to confirm that high serum vitamin D levels may be associated with advanced fibrosis risk in African American males, and to evaluate whether racial differences exist in HCV ‐infected females.