Date of Award
2027
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Physician Assistant Studies
Committee Chair
Ashley Kernicky
Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)
Dr. Ladonna Clark
Abstract
Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease that disproportionately affects women and minority populations, carrying significant morbidity. The purpose of this literature review is to analyze the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in reducing disease activity in SLE patients, compared with none.
Methods: PubMed was searched using a specific strategy with key terms including "vitamin D," "systemic lupus erythematosus," and "disease activity." Boolean operators and filters included a five-year publication limit and restriction to randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. This narrowed the results to five quality articles for review.
Results: Two meta-analyses and one RCT found that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced disease activity, as measured by SLEDAI and MEX-SLEDAI scores. A large two-phase cohort study found vitamin D levels were driven more by geography than disease activity, and a review of nutritional interventions found improvement in inflammatory markers, not in disease activity scores. Results overall were mixed but leaned toward benefit among the controlled studies.
Discussion: The reviewed articles suggest that vitamin D supplementation may reduce disease activity in SLE and is inexpensive, accessible, and safe across the doses studied. However, effect sizes were modest and the evidence was limited by small samples, varied dosing, and inconsistent outcome measures, with benefit appearing most likely when supplementation is dosed adequately and initiated early. Vitamin D shows promise as adjunct to standard therapy, but larger, longer term RCTs with standardized dosing are needed to identify which patients benefit most and defining its role.
Recommended Citation
Phoumsavath SS. Vitamin D and the expression of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). The PA Department Journal of Medical Science. 2026. https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/pa-department-journal-of-medical-science/73
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