Association between vitamin D deficiency and disease activity in Paraguayan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

ObjectiveTo identify the association between vitamin D (VD) concentrations and the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and determine a supplementation dose that allows patients to maintain adequate levels of VD. MethodsLongitudinal, observational study. Serum levels of 25-hydroxy-VD were measured in 100 Paraguayan SLE patients from the Hospital de Clínicas between 2016 and 2018. To analyze the response to different doses of VD supplementation, 50 patients received 1000IU/day and the other 50 patients received 2000IU. SLE disease activity measured by SELENA-SLEDAIwas scored before and after supplementation. ResultsThe mean age was 27.5±9.8 years, 88.9% of patients presented mild disease activity and 11.1% presented moderate to severe activity. The mean VD concentration was 30.8±11.8ng/mL. A total of 34% of patients presented VD insufficiency and 13% VD deficiency. There was an inverse relationship between VD concentrations and SLE disease activity (p=0.03). Increasing levels of serum VD are associated with supplementation of 2000IU/day (p=0.0224). ConclusionSLE activity was associated with low levels of VD. In our cohort, SLE patients required a supplementation dose equal to or greater than 2000IU/day to increase their serum VD.