Relationship among serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, fibrosis stage, genetic susceptibility, and risk of severe liver disease.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

The prospective association between vitamin D and new-onset severe liver disease is still uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) with new-onset severe liver disease and to evaluate whether fibrosis stage, as assessed by the fibrosis- 4 (FIB-4) scores and genetic risk for liver cirrhosis may modify this association.

METHODS:

The study included 439 807 participants without liver diseases at baseline from the UK Biobank. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured using the chemiluminescent immunoassay method. The primary outcome was new-onset severe liver disease, a composite definition of compensated or decompensated liver cirrhosis, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death.

RESULTS:

During a median follow-up of 12 y, 4510 participants developed new-onset severe liver disease. Overall, there was an inverse association of serum 25(OH)D with new-onset severe liver disease (per SD increment, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.91). Similarly, serum 25(OH)D (per SD increment) was significantly and inversely associated with new-onset compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver-related death, respectively, with HRs ranging from 0.75 to 0.87. No significant association was found for hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, there was a stronger inverse association between serum 25(OH)D and severe liver disease among those with a higher FIB-4 score (≥2.67, 1.3 to <2.67, and <1.3; Pinteraction < 0.001). However, the genetic risks for liver cirrhosis, calculated using 12 related single nucleotide polymorphisms, did not significantly modify the association between serum 25(OH)D and severe liver disease (Pinteraction = 0.216).

CONCLUSIONS:

Lower serum 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly associated with a greater risk for new-onset severe liver disease, especially in participants with higher FIB-4 scores.

• Authors: Chun Zhou, Yanjun Zhang, Ziliang Ye, Panpan He, Yuanyuan Zhang, Xiaoqin Gan, Sisi Yang, Mengyi Liu, Qimeng Wu, Xianhui Qin
• Journal: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) (Nutrition) Vol. 119 Pg. 112320 (Mar 2024) ISSN: 1873-1244 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 38185094 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• 25-hydroxyvitamin D
• Vitamin D
• Calcifediol

Topics

• Humans
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (genetics, complications)
• Vitamin D Deficiency
• Vitamin D (analogs & derivatives)
• Calcifediol
• Liver Cirrhosis (genetics)
• Liver Failure (complications)
• Liver Neoplasms (genetics, complications)
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease