Evaluation of the effects of vitamin D and vitamin D receptor levels on the development and course brucellosis disease

Aim: Being a zoonotic animal disease infection still widely encountered in our country, main way of infection for brucellosis is the consumption of unpasteurized milk and milk products. The importance of vitamin D as an immune system regulator based on its function regulatory effects on macrophage cells has been gradually understood. Vitamin D deficiency has been also showed to cause reduction of chemotaxis, phagocytosis and proinflammatory cytokine production. Vitamin D is known to play its immune modulator role through vitamin D receptors. In this study, in the light of the fact that cellular immune system takes an important place in the course of brucellosis disease, an infection widely encountered in our country, we aimed to determine the effects of Vitamin D and soluble vitamin D receptor levels on the development and course of the disease.Material-Method: Patients who followed up, diagnosed with brucellosis disease and decided to get treatment in Çukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology clinic and polyclinic between May of 2009 were included in the patient group, and healthy persons older than 18 years old, who do not have any infectious disease, malignity or autoimmune disease were included in the control group of the study. Vitamin D and soluble D receptor values were recoded for all individuals included in the study and control groups. vitamin D receptor levels were measured in serum through the Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. In addition, laboratory parameters of all individuals included in both groups, and clinical findings and course of disease for the persons included in the patient group were recorded for the purposes of the study.Results: Average of 86 patients with brucellosis diagnosis were 40.86±18.4 and there were 38 (46.9%) males and 48 (52.7%) females in this group. When the clinical formations of the disease were evaluated, it was seen that there were 72 (83.7%) acute, 11 (12.8%) sub-acute and three (3.5%) chronic brucellosis patients. Rates of spondylitis, neurological involvement and endocarditis were found to be respectively 22.1%, 5.8% and 1.2%, Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor levels were observed to be lower in the patient group when compared to the control group and the difference between the two groups was calculated to be statistically significant (p=0.005, p=0.0001 respectively). However, no significant relationship was found between the clinical formations of the disease and vitamin D and vitamin D receptor levels (p=0.152, p=0.285 respectively). Similarly, there was no statistically significant relation between the presence of complications and vitamin D and vitamin D receptor levels (p=0.783, p=0.660 respectively).Conclusion: Our study revealed that vitamin D ve vitamin D receptor levels measured on brucellosis patients were distinctly lower than the levels measured in the control group. Results of the study suggest that vitamin D is probably effective on the pathogenesis of the disease.Key words: Brucellosis, Vitamin D, Vitamin D receptor, immune system