Evaluation of serum vitamin of in young type i diabetic patients

Abstract EN

-Background : recent evidence suggests a role for vitamin D in pathogenesis and prevention of diabetes mellitus.

Active vitamin D, 25 hydroxyl-vitamins D, prevents type I diabetes in animal model. Aims : the aim of this study is to investigate the serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D in young type 1 diabetic patients to explore the possible role of serum vitamin D level in the pathogenesis of type I diabetes. Methods : the study group consisted of 200 type I diabetic patients that were attending the outpatient pediatric and medical clinics.

They were subdivided into two groups : the first one, 150 long standing type I diabetics (with duration of diabetes > year) and a second group 50 recent type I diabetic patients (< 1 year duration).

There was another 50 sex and age matched healthy patients as a control group.

All groups were subjected to estimation of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D & serum calcium and phosphorus levels.

Estimation of seem C peptide level was done for all diabetics to exclude non-type I diabetes.

Results: The estimation of levels of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D revealed a highly significant difference between recent type I diabetic patients (with duration of diabetes < 1 year) and both old type I diabetic patient(with duration of diabetes > 1 year) and control healthy group but no significant difference between old type 1 diabetic patients and healthy control.

While there was a significant difference between old type diabetic patients and both recent type I diabetic patients and control healthy group as regard calcium levels, there was no significant difference between them as regard phosphorus level. Conclusion : our work suggests the presence of a link between vitamin D levels and the development of type I diabetes.

We could recommend starting more advanced trials on the role of giving vitamin D in the prevention of type I.