Serum Vitamin D and Lipid Profile in Patients with Psoriasis in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder increasingly seen as a systemic disease with metabolic and cardiovascular comorbidities. Vitamin D plays immunomodulatory roles, and deficiency may exacerbate disease activity and metabolic issues such as dyslipidemia. Evidence from Bangladesh is limited. This study evaluates serum 25(OH)D levels and lipid profiles in Bangladeshi psoriasis patients against matched healthy controls. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study at Sir Salimullah Medical College Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, from July 2021 to June 2022, enrolled 120 participants: 60 confirmed psoriatic patients and 60 matched healthy controls, selected via purposive convenience sampling. Serum 25(OH)D was measured by immunofluorescence immunoassay, and lipid profiles were assessed enzymatically. Group comparisons used Student’s t-test and Chi-square test; Pearson correlation analyzed relationships among vitamin D, lipids, and psoriasis duration. Results: Psoriatic patients had significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels (14.55 ± 5.89 vs. 33.22 ± 6.82 ng/mL; p = 0.001) and higher total cholesterol (219.00 ± 20.21 vs. 159.53 ± 14.50 mg/dL), triglycerides (169.60 ± 32.75 vs. 112.47 ± 20.34 mg/dL), and LDL-C (146.75 ± 17.74 vs. 93.43 ± 15.55 mg/dL), with lower HDL-C (38.15 ± 3.47 vs. 43.63 ± 4.69 mg/dL) (all p = 0.001). Vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was in 83.5% of psoriatic patients vs. 1.7% of controls. Serum vitamin D negatively correlated with total cholesterol (r = −0.699), triglycerides (r = −0.630), LDL-C (r = −0.687), disease duration (r = −0.462), and positively with HDL-C (r = +0.569) 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis in Bangladesh exhibited significant vitamin D deficiency and dyslipidemia. Low vitamin D was linked to an atherogenic lipid profile, suggesting a role in cardiometabolic risk.