A steroid hormone, vitamin D is ingested by food, although the majority of it is produced in the skin or diet and converted to 25(OH) vitamin D by the liver and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D by the kidneys (active form). Low vitamin D levels have been reported to increase the risk of autoimmune diseases in addition to rickets and osteomalacia. Celiac disease is an immune-mediated enteropathy that affects people who are genetically vulnerable to wheat gluten and related proteins present in rye and barely. The prevalence of celiac disease in Benghazi necessitates research on the level of vitamin D in celiac patients in pediatric hospitals.
