ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The routine examination of vitamin D levels is carried out by checking serum 25(OH)D levels, while serum 1.25(OH)D levels are less frequently utilized. The proposition that testing for salivary vitamin D can show a correlation with serum levels in healthy people is questionable, especially with low vitamin D intake. This study aimed to find the correlation between vitamin D levels, which were assessed as 25(OH)D and 1.25(OH)D in saliva, and serum 25(OH)D and 1.25(OH)D levels in people with low vitamin D intake. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study involving healthy men and women, aged 18-60 years, carried out from August to November, 2020, in North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. The parameters studied were the 25(OH)D and 1.25(OH)D levels in saliva and serum, and vitamin D intake. The statistical analysis used was the Spearman correlation test, performed to determine the correlation between each parameter. RESULTS: This study involved 56 study subjects, who were rural adults (male or female) with a 78.6% deficiency in 25(OH)D found by examining saliva, and a 76.8% deficiency found by examining the serum. All of the subjects were categorized as having low vitamin D intake (less than 15 micrograms per day). The analysis showed a moderate correlation between levels of saliva 25(OH)D and serum 25(OH)D (p = 0.424), and a weak correlation between levels of saliva 1.25(OH)D and serum 25(OH)D (p = 0.339). CONCLUSION: In people with low vitamin D intake, there was a moderate correlation between serum 25(OH)D and saliva, but a weak correlation was found in the 1.25(OH)D assay. The use of saliva 25(OH)D levels to detect 25(OH)D in the circulation is a possible non-invasive alternative to serum testing.