6 (2.5) 2.6 (2.3) 2.7 (2.5) NS Excessive

alcohol usage, n (%) 34 (10.9) 11 (8.5) 23 (12.6) NS Current smoking, n (%) 73 (23.1) 46 (35.1) 27 (14.6) <0.001 Preferred exposure to sun when outdoors, n (%) 166 (53.7) 61 (36.7) 105 (63.3) 0.041 Outdoor activities at least 2 h a day           Summer, days/week (SD) 4.5 (2.1) 5.4 (2.1) 5.4 (2.1) NS   Winter, days/week (SD) 3.0 (2.5) 3.1 (2.5) 2.9 (2.4) NS Sun holiday in the last year, n (%) 138 (44.5) 49 (37.7) 89 (49.4) 0.040 Solarium visits, n (%) 64 (20.6) 27 (20.8) 37 (20.6) NS Laboratory markers in serum           Hb, mmol/L (SD) 8.6 (0.92) 8.5 (0.90) 8.7 (0.93) NS   Ht, L/L (SD) 0.41 (0.04) 0.40 (0.04) 0.41 (0.04) NS   RDW, % (SD) 44.6 (4.8) 45.8 (5.2) 43.7 (4.2) <0.001   ESR, mm/h (SD) 14.1 (12.7) 15.7 (10.8) 13.0 (13.8) <0.001   CRP, mg/L (SD) 4.5 (7.7) 5.1 (6.4) 4.1 (8.6) <0.001   Calcium, mmol/L (SD) 2.3 (0.1) 2.4 BTSA1 (0.1) 2.3 (0.09) NS   Phosphate, mmol/L (SD) 1.1 (0.2) 1.1 (0.2) 1.1 (0.2) NS   Albumin, g/L (SD)

40.6 (3.2) 40.1 (3.2) 40.9 (3.2) 0.006   Creatinine, μmol/L (SD) 72.9 (15.7) 71.2 (13.7) 74.2 (16.8) NS   TSH, mIU/L (SD) 1.53 (0.87) 1.50 (0.95) 1.54 (0.81) NS SD standard deviation, Hb haemoglobin, Ht haematocrit, RDW red blood cell distribution width, ESR erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP C-reactive selleckchem protein, TSH thyroid stimulating hormone aStatistical analyses between CD and UC patients were performed by using a parametric test (unpaired t test) when a normal distribution was present and when in order a non-parametric test (Mann–Whitney U) to assess univariate aminophylline significant associations between the stated continuous determinants and CD vs. UC. Categorical determinants were analysed by using Pearson’s Chi-square test (or Fisher’s exact test when expected frequencies were low). All p values >0.10 are noted as NS (non-significant). All p values between 0.5 and 0.10 are noted in order to evaluate non-significant trends associated between the groups Vitamin D deficiency

in summer and winter At the end of summer, vitamin D deficiency was seen in 39% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33.3–44.2) of the included IBD patients with a mean serum 25OHD level of 55.1 nmol/L (Tables 2 and 3). Univariate analysis of vitamin D deficiency at the end of summer using 50 nmol/L as cut-off point resulted in the following significant predictors. Associations were found between an adequate vitamin D status and daily oral vitamin D supplementation (p  =  0.029), smoking (p  =  0.005), preferred sun exposure when outdoors (p  =  0.020), regular solarium visits (p  =  0.003) and sun holiday (p  <  0.001). Predictive factors for vitamin D deficiency were high body mass index (p  =  0.002) and the elevated biochemical marker alkaline phosphatase (p  =  0.003). Late-summer, non-significant trends were found between vitamin D adequacy and the UC (p  =  0.08), female gender (p  =  0.07) and the haematological marker RDW (p  =  0.06).