Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus.
OBJECTIVE
There is growing interest in the contribution of vitamin D deficiency to autoimmunity. It is therefore timely to review the immunologic actions of vitamin D and the evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to autoimmune disease in animal models and to systemic lupus erythematosus in epidemiologic studies.


RESULTS
A number of recent studies have highlighted the association between systemic lupus erythematosus and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency skews the immunologic response towards loss of tolerance. Adding vitamin D in vitro reverses immunologic abnormalities characteristic of systemic lupus erythematosus.


CONCLUSIONS
Multiple systemic lupus erythematosus cohorts have low vitamin D levels. The physiologic and clinical consequences of vitamin D deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus are not entirely known. Prospective studies of vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus are limited, but most cross-sectional studies show an inverse relationship between levels of vitamin D and disease activity. This suggests that repletion of vitamin D may have benefits beyond bone health for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Kamen
Diane
D
Medical University of South Carolina, USA.
Aranow
Cynthia
C
D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*
D014807:Vitamin D