Background: Vitamin D plays a role in innate and acquired immunity. The risk for bacterial
infections is increased in cirrhotic patients due to low levels of vitamin D. This study aimed to
determine serum 25-(OH) vitamin D levels among cirrhotic patients in the presence and absence
of infections and correlate this level with liver disease severity.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study recruited 87 hospitalised cirrhotic patients who
were divided into the following groups: group with evidence of infection (45 cases) and group
without infection (42 cases). Urine analysis, ascetic fluid study and chest X-rays were performed
to find the site of infection. Serum 25-(OH) vitamin D was also measured.
Results: Vitamin D levels were lower in the cirrhotic with infection group than in the cirrhotic
without infection group (17.3 ± 2.5 vs. 41.1 ± 3.1, respectively) (P-value < 0.001). Approximately 71.4% cirrhotic patients without infection had sufficient vitamin D levels, while 60%
of cirrhotic patients with infection had insufficient vitamin D levels, and 28.9% had vitamin D
deficiency (P-value < 0.001). Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was the most common infection
(62.2%). The cutoff point of vitamin D levels for cirrhotic patients with infection was 21 ng/mL.
Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was found to be an independent predictor of infection in
cirrhotic patients suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may be useful in these patients.
No significant correlations were found between the vitamin D level and the Child—Pugh class
and MELD score among the infected group and non-infected group