Serum alkaline phosphatase screening for vitamin D deficiency states.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether serum vitamin D levels are correlated with serum levels of alkaline phosphatase or not. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional, observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Multi-centre study, conducted at Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, National Medical Centre and Medicare Hospital, Karachi, from January to October 2009. METHODOLOGY Patients attending the Orthopaedic OPDs with complaints of pain in different body regions and serum vitamin D3 levels of ² 30 ng/ml were included in the study. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were further categorized into mild deficiency or insufficiency (vit. D3 = 20-29 ng/ml), moderate deficiency (vit. D3 = 5 - 19 ng/ml) and severe deficiency forms (vit. D3 < 5 ng/ml). Pearson correlation was applied to test the correlation of serum alkaline phosphatase levels with serum vitamin D3 levels. P-value < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS Out of 110 samples, 26 had mild (23%), 61 had moderate (55%) and 21 had severe (19.1%) vitamin D deficiencies. All of the patients in the three groups had alkaline phosphatase with in normal limits and the total mean value of the enzyme was 135.97 ± 68.141 U/L. The inter group comparison showed highest values of alkaline phosphatase in the moderate vitamin D deficiency group. The correlation coefficient of alkaline phosphatase and serum vitamin D3 levels was r =0.05 (p =0.593). CONCLUSION Serum vitamin D3 levels may not be correlated with increased serum alkaline phosphatase levels. Therefore, alkaline phosphatase may not be used as a screening test to rule out vitamin D deficiency.