title: Vitamin D in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kamen
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aranow
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D