title: Vitamin D deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Evidence from animal models and prospective studies of RA, multiple sclerosis, and type-1 diabetes suggest an important role for vitamin D as a modifiable environmental factor in autoimmune disease. This role has not been well studied in human SLE. We compared serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels between recently diagnosed SLE cases and matched controls, and examined disease characteristics in relationship to 25(OH)D among cases. Data from a population-based cohort of 123 recently diagnosed SLE patients and 240 controls were used. We found a trend toward lower 25(OH)D levels in cases compared to controls, which was statistically significant in Caucasians (p=0.04), controlling for age, sex, season, and smoking. Overall, 67% of the subjects were vitamin D deficient, with mean levels significantly lower among African Americans (15.9 ng/ml) compared to Caucasians (31.3 ng/ml). Critically low vitamin D levels (<10 ng/ml) were found in 22 of the SLE cases, with presence of renal disease being the strongest predictor (OR 13.3, p<0.01) followed by photosensitivity (OR 12.9, p<0.01). These results suggest vitamin D deficiency as a possible risk factor for SLE and provide guidance for future studies looking at a potential role of vitamin D in the prevention and/or treatment of SLE.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. kamend@musc.edu
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kamen
authors.forename: Glinda S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Henda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouali
authors.forename: Stephanie R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shaftman
authors.forename: Bruce W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Hollis
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Gilkeson
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D