Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Serum Cytokines Level in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with and Without Foot Infection

• Published in: Chronicle of Diabetes Research and Practice Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 21 - 25
• Main Authors: Dwivedi, Awanindra, Tiwari, Shalbha, Pratyush, Daliparthy D, Kishore, Pratima, Singh, Surya K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer - Medknow 2025
• Edition: 2
• Subjects: Original Article; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Diabetic foot infection; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Vitamin D; Interleukin-6
• ISSN: 2773-1316; 2773-1324
• DOI: 10.4103/cdrp.cdrp_7_24

Introduction: Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a common and serious complication in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Low levels of Vitamin D have been proposed as a risk factor for diabetic foot and may be associated with cytokine dysregulation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Vitamin D supplementation on circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with and without foot infections. Methods: T2DM patients with and without foot infections were enrolled as cases and controls. Both groups were supplemented with a total 300,000 IU oral dose of Vitamin D. Serum concentrations of 25 (OH) Vitamin D and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) were measured in both groups at baseline and follow-up using radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Results: Serum concentrations of 25 (OH) Vitamin D significantly increased in both groups (cases: P <0.0001; controls: P =0.012). The difference in mean (±standard deviation) levels of circulating serum inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6, at baseline and follow-up was not significant in controls but was significant in cases (TNF-α: P =0.0001; IL-6: P =0.0026). Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation, particularly a high dose (60,000 IU/week) for a short period (5 weeks), significantly reduces inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in patients with DFI, supporting its beneficial role in managing inflammation.