Background and aim
Besides its role in calcium metabolism, vitamin D has pleiotropic functions, including immunomodulation, cellular proliferation, and differentiation. Low levels of vitamin D increase the risk for bacterial infections in liver cirrhotic patients, including spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). This work is conducted to study the relation between serum level of the 25-OH vitamin D and SBP in liver cirrhotic patients.
Patients and methods
A total of 90 patients were enrolled in the present study. They were divided into three groups, with 30 patients each: first, patients with compensated liver cirrhosis; second, patients who had decompensated liver cirrhosis without SBP; and third, patients who had decompensated liver cirrhosis with SBP. Different laboratory investigations were carried out, such as liver and kidney functions tests, complete blood count, ascitic neutrophilic count, and serum 25-OH vitamin D level.
Results
In the present study, the lowest serum 25-OH vitamin D level was found in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis with SBP, with a highly significant difference between the studied groups.
Conclusion
Increased incidence of infections with SBP in cirrhotic patients might be linked to vitamin D deficiency. We recommend vitamin D supplementation to lower the risk of SBP in these cases and thereby mortality rate.