Vitamin D Status and Its Association with Inflammatory Markers: A Biochemical Perspective

Background: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble secosteroid hormone with established roles in calcium–phosphate metabolism and emerging roles in immune regulation and inflammation. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to chronic inflammatory states, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune diseases. The objective is to assess vitamin D status and evaluate its association with selected inflammatory markers among 100 cases from a biochemical perspective. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 100 subjects attending a tertiary care hospital. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured. Subjects were categorized based on vitamin D status as deficient, insufficient, or sufficient. Statistical analysis was performed to determine correlations between vitamin D and inflammatory markers. Results: Among 100 cases, vitamin D deficiency was observed in 58%, insufficiency in 26%, and sufficiency in 16%. Mean CRP, ESR, and the group that didn't get enough vitamin D had far greater levels of IL-6 than the group that did. There was a strong negative relationship between serum vitamin D levels and CRP (r = −0.48), ESR (r = −0.42), and IL-6 (r = −0.45). Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and is significantly associated with elevated inflammatory markers. These findings suggest a potential role of vitamin D in modulating systemic inflammation and highlight the need for routine screening and correction of vitamin D deficiency.

Keywords: Vitamin D, Inflammation, CRP, ESR, IL-6, Biochemical markers.