Vitamin D, immunity and lupus

The identification of vitamin D receptor in cells involved in the immune response and the discovery that activated dendritic cells produce vitamin D hormone suggested that vitamin D could exert immunoregulatory effects. Patients with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) show low 25-OH vitamin D serum levels. In particular, SLE patients have multiple risk factors for vitamin D deficiency and disease severity seems correlated with lower 25-OH vitamin D serum levels. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency could be particularly important in SLE patients due to concomitant insults on their tissues such as bone, and in view of the possible immunomodulatory effects exerted by vitamin D. Lupus (2008) 17, 6-10.