Determination of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with alopecia areata and their comparison with levels in healthy controls: A cross-sectional studyCapsule Summary

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) has been postulated to be an autoimmune disease affecting the hair follicles. Because vitamin D receptors are present in the immune system and hair follicles, vitamin D has been hypothesized to affect the disease. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the percentage of vitamin D deficiency in AA patients and compare them with those in healthy controls in a Philippine tertiary hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 29 AA patients and 29 healthy controls. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were determined using the chemiluminescent immunoassay method. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean vitamin D levels between AA patients (24.41 ± 6.87 ng/mL) and healthy controls (24.68 ± 6.68 ng/mL) (P = .88). The percentage of patients with vitamin D deficiency, defined as