Table 1 Studies about vitamin D supplementation in patients with SLE

100,000 IU of cholecalciferol per week for 4 weeks, followed by 100,000 IU of cholecalciferol per month for 6 months

20 SLE patients with hypovitaminosis D

Vitamin D was induced:

a preferential increase of naïve CD4+ T cells,

an increase of regulatory T cells

a decrease of effector

Th1 and Th17 cells

a decrease of memory B cells and anti-DNA antibodies

Vitamin D was well tolerated

[86]

50,000 units of vitamin D-2 weekly plus 200 units of calcium/vitamin D-3 twice daily

1006 SLE patients with low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D; < 40 ng/mL)

A 20-ng/mL increase in the 25(OH)D level was found that was associated with:

A 21% decrease in the odds of having a high disease activity score and

A 15% decrease in the odds of having clinically important proteinuria

Vitamin D was well tolerated

[62]

Oral cholecalciferol 2000 IU/day for 12 months

Patients with SLE and determined alterations in inflammatory and hemostatic markers and disease activity

At 12 months of therapy, there was a significant improvement in levels of inflammatory and hemostatic markers as well as disease activity in the treatment group

Vitamin D was well tolerated

[87]

Oral vitamin D3 for a median period of 24 months

Sixty patients with SLE

Inverse significant correlations between 25(OH)D levels and the VAS and between changes in 25(OH)D levels and changes in the VAS in patients with baseline 25(OH)D levels < 30 ng/mL were found

Vitamin D was well tolerated

[52]

Vitamin D supplementation for 6 months

SLE patients

The FoxP3⁺/IL-17A ratio in SLE patients after 6 months of vitamin D supplementation was higher than that in the baseline

Vitamin D was well tolerated

[88]