{
  "abstract": "Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is highly prevalent worldwide and has been associated with chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, its relationship with coordinated inflammatory and cardiometabolic networks remains unclear. We studied 1075 participants classified as VDD (25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L; n = 304) or in the ≥25 nmol/L group (n = 771) based on circulating 25(OH)D levels. Body composition and plasma levels of IL-17, IL-34, activin A, follistatin, and FSTL1 were assessed; the follistatin/FSTL1 ratio (FOFS) and C-reactive protein–triglyceride–glucose index (CTI) were calculated. Detectable IL-17 and IL-34 concentrations were available for 195 and 247 participants, respectively. VDD participants exhibited higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers and a higher prevalence of hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia (HLD), and CVD. Multivariable analysis revealed a particularly strong independent association between IL-17 and VDD (OR = 8.36, 95% CI: 3.72–18.80). Structural equation modeling (SEM) supported an interconnected inflammatory–cardiometabolic association network, characterized by a strong association between VDD and IL-17 (β = 0.689) and significant interrelationships among IL-17, IL-34, FOFS, CTI, and cardiometabolic comorbidities. These findings identify IL-17 as a prominent inflammatory correlate of VDD and suggest that FOFS may represent a link between inflammatory activation and cardiometabolic morbidity associated with VDD.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Morphological Sciences, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 4070000, Israel",
    "Department of Nursing, The Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Emek Yezreel 1930600, Israel",
    "Department of Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6905126, Israel",
    "The Simon Winter Institute for Human Genetics, Bnai Zion Medical Center, The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 3200003, Israel",
    "Department of Orthopedics, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa 3436212, Israel"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Nader Tarabeih",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0566-9673"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Alexander Kalinkovich",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5980-3903"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Adel Shalata"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shai Ashkenazi",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7244-0679"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Ali Sleiman"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Gregory Livshits",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3766-7493"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ck50b3t33ca5y.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/biom16111546",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "ck50b3t33ca5y",
  "issns": [
    "2218-273X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/11/1546",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2734|Vitamin D Research Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223694137",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ck50b3t33ca5y.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:59Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/biom16111546",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/11/1546"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2734|Vitamin D Research Studies",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with an Integrated Inflammatory-Adiposity Network Linked to Cardiovascular Disease: A Community-Based Study",
  "title_text": "Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with an Integrated Inflammatory-Adiposity Network Linked to Cardiovascular Disease: A Community-Based Study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:59Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ck50b3t33ca5y",
  "venue": "Biomolecules",
  "versions": []
}