Calcium, Phosphate, and Vitamin D Status in Patients with Sarcoidosis-Associations with Disease Activity and Symptoms

J Clin Med. 2023 Jul 18;12(14):4745. doi: 10.3390/jcm12144745.

Abstract

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with a variety of presentations. One of the known symptoms are altered vitamin D metabolism and hypercalcemia. In our study, we aimed to assess associations between disease activity, inflammatory parameters, and vitamin D and calcium status. The secondary aim was to find any dependencies between calcium and vitamin D metabolism and fatigue and quality of life in patients with sarcoidosis. We enrolled 58 patients with sarcoidosis (47 classified as active disease, 11 classified as non-active) and compared them with 25 healthy volunteers. Calcium concentration was significantly higher in the study group than in healthy controls. It correlated with some inflammatory markers but not with vitamin D status. Not calcium nor vitamin D, but phosphate concentration correlated with life quality was assessed with the use of the Sarcoidosis Health Questionnaire. An association between phosphate concentration and fatigue was also noted, but it did not reach statistical significance. Calcium concentration was higher in patients with sarcoidosis, but it was not an indicator of the disease activity, while phosphate concentration was significantly lower in patients with active sarcoidosis.

Keywords: calcium; fatigue; life quality; phosphate; sarcoidosis; vitamin D.

Grants and funding

The study was funded by the Medical University of Lodz. Study-related costs were defrayed from the research resources of the Department of Pneumology—account number 503/1-151-03/503-11-001-19-00. The APC was funded by the Department of Pneumology and Medical University of Lodz.