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. 2021 Nov 29:2021:9782994.
doi: 10.1155/2021/9782994. eCollection 2021.

Role of Vitamin D in Systemic Sclerosis: A Systematic Literature Review

Alexandra-Diana Diaconu  1 , Iustina Ostafie  1 , Alexandr Ceasovschih  2   3 , Victorița Șorodoc  2   3 , Cătălina Lionte  2   3 , Codrina Ancuța  1   3 , Laurențiu Șorodoc  2   3
Affiliations

Role of Vitamin D in Systemic Sclerosis: A Systematic Literature Review

Alexandra-Diana Diaconu et al. J Immunol Res. .

Abstract

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune condition defined by a complex pathobiology, comprising excessive fibrosis of skin and internal organs, peripheral vasculopathy with endothelial cell dysfunction, inadequate vascular repair and neovascularization, and aberrant immunity. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with pleiotropic effects beyond its traditional role in calcium and bone homeostasis. Since vitamin D has immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, and antifibrotic properties, it could potentially interfere with SSc pathogenesis. Suboptimal vitamin D levels are classically recognized in scleroderma, irrespective of clinical and serological phenotype.

Aim: This systematic review is aimed at investigating and clarifying the role of vitamin D in SSc and emphasizing the association of vitamin D status with different clinical settings.

Methods and results: A systematic online search was performed, using PubMed databases to collect articles on the topic of vitamin D in SSc. The final analysis included 40 eligible articles.

Conclusions: Hypovitaminosis D is common in SSc patients and could be associated with clinical and serologic patterns of the disease. Intervention for low serum vitamin D levels in SSc pathogenesis remains controversial, as well as the significance of vitamin D supplementation in such patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between systemic sclerosis clinical manifestations and hypovitaminosis D.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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