title: Remission of Severe Myasthenia Gravis After Massive-Dose Vitamin D Treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vitamin D has been shown to be related to autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Correlations have been reported between vitamin D levels and prevalence and severity of other autoimmune disorders, and also between vitamin D therapy and disease improvement and remission.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case report of a patient with severe and refractory myasthenia gravis (MG) who followed a "high-dose vitamin D treatment", a massive-dose treatment (80,000 to 120,000 IU/day) promoted by a medical center in Brazil (but still not proven), and she had her first complete remission after this type of treatment with increased vitamin D serum levels (400 to 700 ng/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case report may reinforce the reported correlation between vitamin D level and disease severity and introduces a possible new use for vitamin D as a potential target for treating autoimmune diseases. We recommend large, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies using high-dose vitamin D treatment for refractory autoimmune diseases to reliably assess this pharmacotherapy target for these diseases.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Unit, Corpometria, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio Adsuara
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Cadegiani
mesh_terms: D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D
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