Comparing the Levels of Vitamin D in HIV Infected Patients and Non-infected Individuals

Background and Many researches have pointed a key role for vitamin D in the body’s immune system. Low level of vitamin D is associated with progression to AIDS. In this study, the serum level of vitamin D in HIV infected patients was studied and compared with a control group. In this cross-sectional study the levels of vitamin D were evaluated in 35 HIV infected patients whose disease was diagnosed by ELISA test and confirmed with western blot test. The control group consisted of 35 healthy individuals who were matched for age, sex, nutrition and their exposure to sun light (according their jobs). In both group the serum vitamin D level was measured using ELISA test. The level of vitamin D was evaluated in the HIV infected group according to their age, sex, BMI, and CD4 level. The serum level of vitamin D was significantly lower in HIV infected patients than that of the control group. We observed no association between the serum level of vitamin D and the patients’ sex, age, BMI, CD4 and consumption of antiretroviral drugs. According to the low levels of vitamin D in HIV infected patients, administration of vitamin D supplement sounds reasonable. However, further studies are recommended to evaluate the effect of vitamin D treatment among such patients.