Effects of vitamin D on disease activity and serum interleukin-6 in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: Vitamin D or 25(OH)D may have a potential role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis by inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6). The aim of this study is to determine the clinical factors of vitamin D deficiency in multi-ethnic Malaysian RA patients and its association with disease activity, functional disability and serum IL-6 levels.

Method: One hundred RA patients and 50 healthy controls, sex- and age-matched, were recruited.