Vitamin D level among Egyptian patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria and its relation to severity of the disease.

Vitamin D has an important role in the immune system. Decreased serum vitamin D level is known to be associated with autoimmune and atopic diseases. This study aimed to assess vitamin D status in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and its relation with severity of the disease. This case-control study was conducted on 22 patients and 20 age and sex matched controls. Patients were subjected to clinical assessment, routine laboratory examination: complete blood picture (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis C virus antibody (HCV Ab), anti-thyroid antibody, anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), total immunoglobulin E (IgE), vitamin D assay and stool analysis, and special investigations including: skin prick test (SPT), autologous serum skin test (ASST) and urticaria activity score (UAS). Patients' mean age was 32.8 ± 13.17 years. The median and interquartile range of duration of illness was 2.5 (1-4) years and of Ig E was 79 (62-312) IU/ml. According to UAS; 14 (63.6%) had severe and 8 (36.4%) had moderate degree illness. The mean vitamin D level among the patients was 28.4 ± 9.09 nmol/L. Vitamin D level was significantly lower among patients in comparison to controls (28.4 ± 9.09 vs. 104.5 ± 76.8, t = 4.4 P < 0.01). Vitamin D correlated negatively with IgE level (r = -0.45, P < 0.05), meanwhile it was insignificantly correlated with age and duration of illness (r = -0.117 and 0.34 respectively, P > 0.05). In conclusion; Low vitamin D level (r = 0.45) is associated with chronic spontaneous urticaria but has no relation with the severity of the disease.