OBJECTIVE Observational evidence supports independent associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) with cardiovascular risk. A plausible hypothesis for these associations is accelerated development of atherosclerosis. APPROACH AND RESULTS We evaluated cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of 25-OHD and PTH with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and car...

The present cross-sectional study was designed to evaluate the vitamin D status in three groups of women in Bangladesh by using serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25-OHD), alkaline phosphatase (S-ALP), calcium (S-Ca) and phosphate (S-P). Sampling was undertaken at three locations in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Representative subjects of three groups of women aged 18-60 years were studied. Study su...

Vitamin D is a “hot topic,” with the number of citations in PubMed exceeding 2400 in 2009, a 3-fold increase in 1 year. In the US, the number of requested 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) assays is increasing exponentially. Not all of the published material has validity, however. A panel of experts was invited to address a series of questions pertaining to laboratory methods and clinical applicatio...

Introduction: Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β) participates in several signaling pathways and plays a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and neuropathic pain. The ratio of phosphorylated GSK-3β over total GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β/t-GSK-3β) is reduced following nerve injury. Apoptosis is a hallmark of many neuronal dysfunctions in the context of neuropathic pain. Thus, this st...

INTRODUCTION Children and adolescents with a chronic illness have potential risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. An optimal vitamin D status might have multiple health effects. This study evaluated vitamin D status and its association with age, gender, and season in a large cohort of chronically ill Finnish patients at a tertiary pediatric outpatient clinic. A cross-sectional register-based s...

AIM To investigate the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) deficiency and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). METHODS A retrospective analysis of the results of 392 adult patients with chronic liver disease who were assessed for liver transplantation between 2006 and 2010 was undertaken. HE, severity of CLD, nutritional status and 25-OHD wer...

In view of the claim that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) concentrations may contribute to the pathogenesis of bone disease in patients with 13 thalassaemia major and iron overload, we have assessed the concentrations of 25-OHD, la,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (la,25(0H)2D), parathyroid hormone, and osteocalcin in such patients. 25-OHD concentrations were significantly lower in patients with thalassa...

INTRODUCTION Severe vitamin D deficiency is very common. Evidence-based guidelines for rapid correction with high-dose oral cholecalciferol are not yet available. OBJECTIVE To develop a practical cholecalciferol loading dose regimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 208 vitamin D-deficient subjects (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (25-OHD(3)) level <50 nmol/l), aged 18-88 years, were treated w...

The biochemical diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) is difficult in preterm infants. To date, no marker for the biochemical diagnosis of 21-OHD has been found. Seventeen α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), is not useful because of interference by delta 5 steroids from the fetal adrenal cortex. A 5-d-old female infant, born at 31 wk of gestation, was suspected of having 21-OHD based on p...

BACKGROUND Vitamin D insufficiency in children may have long-term skeletal consequences as vitamin D affects calcium absorption, bone mineralization and bone mass attainment. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS This school-based study investigated vitamin D status and its association with vitamin D intake and bone health in 195 Finnish children and adolescents (age range 7-19 years). Clinical char...