Gender differences in the association of ferritin and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate gender differences in the relationship between ferritin levels and 25(OH)vitamin D deficiency in overweight persons and whether this relationship is mediated by total and visceral adiposity and fatty liver index (FLI), a marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.Our study was a retrospective one in which were collecting data from 92 patients seen in an outpatient clinical centre between January 2011 and October 2017. Patients were classified with vitamin D deficiency if 25(OH)vitamin D levels were < 20.0 ng/mL. Univariate linear regression analysis assessed the association between ferritin levels and 25(OH)vitamin D deficiency, with and without correction for age, body composition (total fat mass and visceral fat mass) and FLI. In men, a statistically significant positive association between 25(OH)vitamin D deficiency and ferritin levels were found (β=0.424, p=0.008) in univariate and model adjusted for age. After adjustment for age and total fat mass and for age and visceral fat mass the association became nonsignificant in men (β=0.327, p=0.067 and β=0.295, p=0.106, respectively) and maintained non-significant after further adjustment for FLI (p <0.05). In women, ferritin level was negatively associated with 25(OH)vitamin deficiency in the model adjusted for age, visceral fat mass and FLI (β=-0.335, p=0.026). In this study, we showed that serum ferritin levels were negatively associated with the presence of 25(OH)vitamin D deficiency in women and this association was independent of age, body composition and FLI. No association was observed in men.