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. 2014 Jun 7;1(1):e000027.
doi: 10.1136/lupus-2014-000027. eCollection 2014.

Lower vitamin D levels are associated with higher systemic lupus erythematosus activity, but not predictive of disease flare-up

Yoland Schoindre  1 , Moez Jallouli  2 , Marie-Laure Tanguy  3 , Pascale Ghillani  4 , Lionel Galicier  5 , Olivier Aumaître  6 , Camille Francès  7 , Véronique Le Guern  8 , Frédéric Lioté  9 , Amar Smail  10 , Nicolas Limal  11 , Laurent Perard  12 , Hélène Desmurs-Clavel  12 , Du Le Thi Huong  2 , Bouchra Asli  5 , Jean-Emmanuel Kahn  13 , Laurent Sailler  14 , Félix Ackermann  13 , Thomas Papo  15 , Karim Sacré  15 , Olivier Fain  16 , Jérôme Stirnemann  16 , Patrice Cacoub  2 , Gaëlle Leroux  1 , Judith Cohen-Bittan  2 , Jean-Sébastien Hulot  17 , Philippe Lechat  17 , Lucile Musset  4 , Jean-Charles Piette  2 , Zahir Amoura  2 , Jean-Claude Souberbielle  18 , Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau  2 ; Group PLUS
Collaborators, Affiliations

Lower vitamin D levels are associated with higher systemic lupus erythematosus activity, but not predictive of disease flare-up

Yoland Schoindre et al. Lupus Sci Med. .

Abstract

Objectives: Growing evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recent studies have found an association between lower serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and higher SLE activity. We studied the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score, and we assessed for the first time the role of vitamin D in predicting SLE flare-ups.

Methods: Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured in 170 patients with SLE who were prospectively followed up for 6 months (Plaquenil LUpus Systemic study, ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT00413361).

Results: The mean SLEDAI score was 2.03±2.43 and 12.3% patients had active disease (SLEDAI ≥6). The mean 25(OH)D level was 20.6±9.8 ng/mL. Deficiency (25(OH)D <10 ng/mL) was observed in 27 (15.9%), insufficiency (10≤25(OH)D<30) in 112 (65.9%) and optimal vitamin D status (25(OH)D≥30) in 31 (18.2%) patients. In multivariate analysis, female gender (p=0.018), absence of defined antiphospholipid syndrome (p=0.002) and higher creatinine clearance (p=0.004) were predictive of lower 25(OH)D levels. In multivariate analysis, lower 25(OH)D levels were associated with high SLE activity (p=0.02). Relapse-free survival rate was not statistically different according to the vitamin D status during the 6-month follow-up (p=0.22).

Conclusions: We found a low vitamin D status in the majority of patients with SLE, and a modest association between lower 25(OH)D levels and high disease activity. There was no association between baseline 25(OH)D levels and relapse-free survival rate.

Keywords: Autoimmune Diseases; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; hydroxychloroquine; vitamin D.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The central line marks the median value and the edges of the box mark the first and third quartiles. The vertical line issuing from the box extends to the minimum and maximum values.
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