The pathogenetic role of
vitamin D as well as its clinical correlation in inflammatory
skin diseases is still uncertain. This study aimed to compare serum levels of 25(
OH)
vitamin D (
calcidiol) in outpatients suffering from different
skin diseases using the same laboratory method in one study. In routine serum samples of 1,532 patients from the previous 12 months we identified retrospectively 180 (mean age 49.4 years, 80 female, 100 male) and 205 (mean age 36.3 years, 116 female, 89 male) patients with
psoriasis (PSO) and
atopic dermatitis (AD), respectively. Clinical disease activity and quality of life was evaluated using Physicians Global Assessment Scores (
PGA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and a Visual Analog Scale for
pruritus in AD, respectively. The median 25(
OH)D serum level of all patients (22.97 ng/mL, range 2.61-96.0, n = 1,461) was significantly lower in comparison to healthy controls (41.6 ng/mL, range 16.9-77.57, p < 0.0001, n = 71). In PSO and AD we measured 21.05 ng/mL (44% < 20 ng/mL) and 22.7 ng/mL (39% < 20 ng/mL), respectively (p = 0.152). Among all subgroups, patients with severe acute or chronic
infectious skin diseases had the lowest median 25(
OH)D serum levels (17.11 ng/mL, n = 94, 66% <20 ng/mL, p < 0,001 vs. AD, p = 0,007 vs. PSO). For PSO and AD there was no significant correlation between 25(
OH)D levels and
PGA scores and DLQI values, respectively, or the extent of
pruritus in AD. 25(
OH)D serum levels in inflammatory
skin diseases might correlate more with the type of disease and the degree of
inflammation than with clinical activity itself.