Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 May;146(5):1051-61.
doi: 10.3945/jn.115.227728. Epub 2016 Apr 6.

National Estimates of Serum Total 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Metabolite Concentrations Measured by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry in the US Population during 2007-2010

Rosemary L Schleicher  1 , Maya R Sternberg  1 , Anne C Looker  2 , Elizabeth A Yetley  3 , David A Lacher  2 , Christopher T Sempos  3 , Christine L Taylor  3 , Ramon A Durazo-Arvizu  4 , Khin L Maw  1 , Madhulika Chaudhary-Webb  1 , Clifford L Johnson  2 , Christine M Pfeiffer  5
Affiliations

National Estimates of Serum Total 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Metabolite Concentrations Measured by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry in the US Population during 2007-2010

Rosemary L Schleicher et al. J Nutr. 2016 May.

Abstract

Background: The 2007-2010 NHANES provides the first US nationally representative serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations measured by standardized liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Objective: We describe patterns for total 25(OH)D and individual metabolites in persons aged ≥1 y stratified by race-ethnicity and grouped by demographic, intake, physiologic, and lifestyle variables.

Methods: We measured 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D3], 25-hydroxyergocalciferol [25(OH)D2], and C3-epimer of 25(OH)D3 [C3-epi-25(OH)D3] in serum samples (n = 15,652) from the 2007-2010 cross-sectional NHANES [total 25(OH)D = 25(OH)D3 + 25(OH)D2].

Results: Concentrations (median, detection rate) of 25(OH)D3 (63.6 nmol/L, 100%) and C3-epi-25(OH)D3 (3.40 nmol/L, 86%) were generally detectable; 25(OH)D2 was detectable in 19% of the population. Total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D3, and C3-epi-25(OH)D3 displayed similar demographic patterns and were strongly correlated (Spearman's r > 0.70). Concentrations of 25(OH)D2 (90th percentile) were much higher in persons aged ≥60 y (17.3 nmol/L) than in younger age groups (≤4.88 nmol/L). We noted significant race-ethnicity differences in mean total 25(OH)D [non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs), Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs): 46.6, 57.2, and 75.2 nmol/L, respectively] and in the prevalence of total 25(OH)D <30 nmol/L overall (24% of NHBs, 6.4% of Hispanics, and 2.3% of NHWs) as well as stratified by season (winter months: 30% of NHBs, 7.5% of Hispanics, and 3.8% of NHWs; summer months: 17% of NHBs, 4.4% of Hispanics, and 1.6% of NHWs). Persons with higher vitamin D intakes (diet, supplements, or both) and those examined during May-October had significantly higher total 25(OH)D. Significant race-ethnicity interactions in a multiple linear regression model confirmed the necessity of providing race-ethnicity-specific estimates of total 25(OH)D.

Conclusions: Race-ethnicity differences in the prevalence of low total 25(OH)D remained strong even after adjustment for season to account for the NHANES design imbalance between season, latitude, and race-ethnicity. The strong correlation between C3-epi-25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D3 may be because the epimer is a metabolite of 25(OH)D3. The presence of 25(OH)D2 mainly in older persons is likely a result of high-dose prescription vitamin D2.

Keywords: 25-hydroxyvitamin D2; 25-hydroxyvitamin D3; C3-epimer of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3; LC-MS/MS; NHANES.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Author disclosures: RL Schleicher, MR Sternberg, AC Looker, EA Yetley, DA Lacher, CT Sempos, CL Taylor, RA Durazo-Arvizu, KL Maw, M Chaudhary-Webb, CL Johnson, and CM Pfeiffer, no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Demographic patterns of total 25(OH)D (A), 25(OH)D3 (B), 25(OH)D2 (C), and C3-epi-25(OH)D3 (D) for persons aged ≥1 y: NHANES 2007–2010. Values are medians for total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D3, and C3-epi-25(OH)D3 and 90th percentiles for 25(OH)D2; error bars denote 95% CIs. *25(OH)D2 concentrations were less than the limit of detection (i.e., <2.05 nmol/L) for participants aged 6–11 and 12–19 y. C3-epi-25(OH)D3, C3-epimer of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol; Hisp, Hispanic; NHB, non-Hispanic black; NHW, non-Hispanic white; 25(OH)D, 25-hydroxyvitamin D; 25(OH)D2, 25-hydroxyergocalciferol; 25(OH)D3, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hilger J, Friedel A, Herr R, Rausch T, Roos F, Wahl DA, Pierroz DD, Weber P, Hoffmann K. A systematic review of vitamin D status in populations worldwide. Br J Nutr 2014;111:23–45. - PubMed
    1. Cashman KD, Kiely M, Kinsella M, Durazo-Arvizu R, Tian L, Zhang Y, Lucey A, Flynn A, Gibney MJ, Vesper HW. Evaluation of vitamin D standardization program protocols for standardizing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D data: a case study of the program’s potential for national nutrition and health surveys. Am J Clin Nutr 2013;97:1235–42. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Janz T, Pearson C. Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians. Statistics Canada. Catalog 82–624-X [cited 2015 Nov 20]. Available from: www.statcan.gc.ca.
    1. UK Food Standards Agency. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: results from years 1–4 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2008–2009–2011/12): executive summary. London: Public Health England; 2014.
    1. LeFevre ML. Screening for vitamin D deficiency in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 2015;162:133–40. - PubMed

MeSH terms