Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease, affects around one percent of people.

Aim and objectives: To compare vitamin D concentration in serum in normal individuals & RA cases, evaluate the connection among vitamin D concentration & disease activity and follow up on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on disease activity.

Patients and methods: This case control research has been performed on 130 cases, separated into two groups: Group I involved 65 RA patients and Group II involved 65 healthy subjects at an internal medicine outpatient clinic who were admitted to the department in the rheumatology unit from August 2022–August 2023.

Results: Cases with RA showed a significantly less concentration of vitamin D compared with the control group (17.98 ± 3.45 vs. 38.09 ± 12.09 ng/ml; p< 0.001). Most (53.8%) of the RA group had an insufficient level of vitamin D, while 10 (15.4%) patients had a sufficient level and the other 20 (30.8%) patients had a deficient level. Cases with remission had a significantly greater level of vitamin D in comparison with cases with low or moderate DAS-28 (25.08 ± 4.44 vs. 14.81 ± 2.45 ng/ml; p< 0.001) & cases with high DAS-28 (25.08 ± 4.44 vs. 7.80 ± 1.09 ng/ml; p< 0.001). 

Conclusion: Deficiency of vitamin D is widespread among RA cases, with disease severity inversely proportional to 25-OHD levels. In cases of vitamin D deficiencies, vitamin D supplementation appeared to enhance disease activity.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease, affects around one percent of people.

Aim and objectives: To compare vitamin D concentration in serum in normal individuals & RA cases, evaluate the connection among vitamin D concentration & disease activity and follow up on the effect of vitamin D supplementation on disease activity.

Patients and methods: This case control research has been performed on 130 cases, separated into two groups: Group I involved 65 RA patients and Group II involved 65 healthy subjects at an internal medicine outpatient clinic who were admitted to the department in the rheumatology unit from August 2022–August 2023.

Results: Cases with RA showed a significantly less concentration of vitamin D compared with the control group (17.98 ± 3.45 vs. 38.09 ± 12.09 ng/ml; p< 0.001). Most (53.8%) of the RA group had an insufficient level of vitamin D, while 10 (15.4%) patients had a sufficient level and the other 20 (30.8%) patients had a deficient level. Cases with remission had a significantly greater level of vitamin D in comparison with cases with low or moderate DAS-28 (25.08 ± 4.44 vs. 14.81 ± 2.45 ng/ml; p< 0.001) & cases with high DAS-28 (25.08 ± 4.44 vs. 7.80 ± 1.09 ng/ml; p< 0.001). 

Conclusion: Deficiency of vitamin D is widespread among RA cases, with disease severity inversely proportional to 25-OHD levels. In cases of vitamin D deficiencies, vitamin D supplementation appeared to enhance disease activity.