Neonatal vitamin D levels and autoimmune disorders: a Danish population-based cohort study

Eur J Epidemiol. 2026 Jul 8. doi: 10.1007/s10654-026-01436-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

To examine the associations of neonatal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and vitamin D-binding protein (DBP), and their corresponding genetic predictors, with the risk of nine autoimmune disorders. We conducted a population-based cohort study of a random sample of individuals born in Denmark between 1981 and 2005, sourced from the iPSYCH2012 study. We measured 25(OH)D and DBP concentrations in neonatal dried blood spots. We identified individuals diagnosed with selected autoimmune disorders (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis). Cox regression was employed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for any autoimmune disorder and for nine specific diagnoses, in relation to 25(OH)D, DBP, and their polygenic scores (PGSs). Among 20,404 eligible individuals, 757 (3.7%) developed an autoimmune disorder. Neither neonatal 25(OH)D nor DBP was associated with the risk of any autoimmune disorder, with HRs of 1.07 (95% CI, 0.99-1.15) and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.92-1.07) per standard deviation (SD) increase, respectively. Similarly, PGSs for 25(OH)D and DBP did not show an association with any autoimmune disorder, with HRs of 1.04 (95% CI, 0.97-1.12) and 0.98 (95% CI, 0.91-1.05) per SD increase, respectively. Findings were similar when exposures were analyzed in tertiles and across nine individual autoimmune disorders. Neonatal vitamin D is not associated with the risk of autoimmune disorders. Similarly, genetic predictors of vitamin D status, as reflected in PGSs for 25(OH)D and DBP, are not associated with the risk of autoimmune disorders.

PMID:42418142 | DOI:10.1007/s10654-026-01436-9