Table 3.
Main characteristics of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in relation to vitamin D (VD) levels
| Total (N = 71) | Low VD levels (n = 65) | Normal VD levels (n = 6) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 46.7 ± 16.1 | 47.1 ± 16.3 | 43.5 ± 13.9 | 0.612 |
| Age at diagnosis, years | 37.3 ± 15.7 | 37.2 ± 16.0 | 38.5 ± 13.0 | 0.846 |
| Females, n (%) | 25 (35.2) | 25 (38.5) | 0 | 0.084 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.5 ± 4.4 | 25.4 ± 4.5 | 26.4 ± 2.7 | 0.597 |
| Smokers, n (%) | 14 (19.7) | 13 (20) | 1 (16.7) | 1.000 |
| Disease duration, years | 6 (12) | 7 (13.5) | 3 (8.5) | 0.237 |
|
Montreal classification, n (%) -E1 - E2 - E3 |
7 (10) 27 (38) 37 (52) |
6 (9.2) 24 (36.9) 35 (53.8) |
1 (16.7) 3 (50) 2 (33.3) |
0.607 |
| SCCAI | 2 (4) | 2 (5) | 1.5 (3) | 0.136 |
| Clinical Mayo score | 3 (5) | 3 (6) | 3.5 (5) | 0.681 |
| Endoscopic Mayo score | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 1.5 (2) | 0.463 |
| Endoscopically active, n (%) | 30 (42.2) | 27 (41.5) | 3 (50) | 1.000 |
| Histologically active, n (%) | 45 (63.3) | 41 (63) | 4 (66.6) | 0.648 |
| C-Reactive Protein, mg/l | 2.5 (3.5) | 2.5 (4) | 2.5 (1.4) | 0.298 |
| Stool calprotectin, μg/mg | 87 (437) | 88 (455) | 25 (251) | 0.327 |
|
Treatment*, n (%) Biologic agent(s) ± other agents AZA without biologic agent Steroids ± mesalazine Mesalazine only |
26 (37) 5 (7) 13 (18) 26 (37) |
23 (35.3) 5 (7.6) 13 (20) 23 (35.3) |
3 (50) 0 0 3 (50) |
0.518 |
Quantitative variables are expressed as mean ± SD or median (IQR) values
SCCAI: Simple Clinical Colitis Activity index, AZA, azathioprine
*One patient was under no therapy