title: Vitamin D Antibodies in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: Findings and Clinical Correlations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D is a pivotal factor in calcium homeostasis and exerts immunomodulatory effects. Hypovitamin D has been demonstrated in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and may be related to more severe disease of longer duration and with extensive skin involvement.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To seek anti-vitamin D antibodies in SSc patients, as found by previous research in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 54 SSc patients and 41 volunteers. Immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM autoantibody levels against 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)D were obtained from patients and controls and were compared. SSc patients were assessed for autoantibody profile and disease severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitamin D antibodies were present in 87% of SSc patients and 42% of controls. Higher levels of anti-25(OH)D IgM antibodies were detected in SSc patients compared to controls (0.48 ± 0.22 vs. 0.29 ± 0.29, respectively, P = 0.002); however, IgG levels were lower in the SSc patients. No such discriminative. effect was found regarding anti-1,25(OH)D antibodies between SSc and controls. No correlation was found between,vitamin D antibodies and other autoantibodies, disease severity, or target organ damage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge; this is the first study of these novel, anti-vitamin D antibodies in SSc patients and the first time a correlation between IgM 25(OH) vitamin D antibodies and scleroderma has been identified. Further research on the pathophysiological significance and therapeutic potential of vitamin D is required.
authors.forename: Narin N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Carmel
authors.forename: Pnina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rotman-Pikielny
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavrov
authors.forename: Yair
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D002117:Calcitriol / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D015652:25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2; D002117:Calcitriol